Forward Unto Dawn
by TheWizardofOzbourne
Summary: Season 3. Trapped in a universe not their own, Cameron and John Henry must find their way home, but only with the help of a young man and three gifts, each one from another universe. The first, a way to save Cameron, the second, an AI smarter than Skynet, the third, the third holds the tools to get home. Eventual Jameron. (Ch 21 posted)
1. Arrival

**A/N: This is a new story I've been working on for a while now.**

**It has no connection to my other series.**

**Read and Review, I want to know your opinions and questions**

**-OZ**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Arrival**

**April 10, 2012 8 pm**

James Anderson was leaning against a window, staring into the storm raging through the countryside. His face lit up from time to time as the lightning flashed in the distance. His eyes were dull and unfocused as the storm continued its assault He broke out of somber thoughts from time to time to take a sip of coffee, just one of the habits he had picked up since his life had gone up in flames.

It had happened almost a year ago during a family reunion, the city where it was being held was suddenly struck by an 7.9 earthquake. The room that his family had rented had a gas line running under it, and the subsequent gas explosion after the quake had claimed the lives of his entire family, extended and all plus his girlfriend. He had been lucky enough to have been in his car getting more paper plates when the ground started shaking.

"_Lucky? No they were the lucky ones"_ He snorted as the thought simmered in his mind.

Now he was living on his deceased grandparents farm in the rolling hills of northern Missouri, the only place he was willing to live since his family's home was destroyed in the earthquake. Even a year later he still had a hard time believing that the New Madrid fault had chosen that exact moment to slip and destroy everything he cared about, leaving only this farm and a ton of insurance money in it's wake. He was essentially set for life because of it, but raising free range Angus cattle as his grandfather had took his mind off the grief and sorrow that followed him everywhere like dark storm cloud. Hard work cleared his mind better than any drug ever could.

Lightning flashed again and the power went out, leaving him in the dark. Jim rolled his eyes as he thought about how long it might take to get power back up, he hated having to throw out all the food...again. He closed his eyes for a second as he let the sounds of the rain drops hitting the house soothe his dark mood.

A tear run down his face as he remembered that his girlfriend had loved the rain. She would always smile when the drops came falling from the sky. She had always found the good in every bad situation.

"_There's no good to find in 60,000 deaths and a destroyed city__". _The young man let out another sigh as the trials he had to endure while adjusting to this new life rushed through his mind. Stepping in cow manure, bulls breaking down fences, trucks getting stuck in the mud, said trucks breaking down, you name it, it had happened to him in the past year. He was lucky that he had the money to fix his mistakes and the friendly town folk who had known his grandparents were willing to help out a tender foot such as himself.

Lately though things were going well, the calving season had been going smoothly as had everything else for once. He thought that maybe things were beginning to look up.

Then something happened about a month ago during a storm much like this that made him question his own sanity, something he had struggled to hold onto after his family and girlfriend had died. What he found he told no one about and had done everything possible to hide the evidence. He shuddered as he thought about what was lying under a stack of hay bales in his barn, he didn't want to think about where it had come from.

Too bad fate had other plans for him.

He was about to walk away when he spotted a flash of light out in the distance. It was followed by a spark of electricity hovering off the ground in the field south of his house. He stared with wide eyes for a second as a vaguely familiar shape began to form, one he had only seen in science fiction productions.

"_That can't be real..."_ Despite what he thought, Jim realized what he was seeing might explain what had happened the month prior, but that was assuming he wasn't going crazy. He ran out of the kitchen and went down to the mud room. He put on his rubber boots and coat in record time before he grabbed his twelve gauge and ran out the door. He jumped into a burgundy flatbed truck and sped out of the drive. He hit the gas and drove it through the open gate into the muddy field. He ignored the groaning suspension as the high off road speeds took their toll. He was solely focused on getting to the anomaly. As the truck approached, Jim noticed that it was becoming more opaque and changing color.

Just as the truck ground to a halt, Jim jumped out and aimed the weapon at the now blood-red sphere, ignoring the danger presented by the few bolts of lightning the bubble was shooting off.

"_This has to be a dream, there is no was this is freaking real" _He thought to himself as he wiped off the water dripping into his hazel eyes._  
_

The sphere disappeared just as he finished that thought, leaving a brief ring of fire around a crater before the flames were quenched by the downpour. His fear rose as the truck's headlights reflected off a knelt form in the crater. He blinked when he realized that it was a naked man.

The figure in the crater rose, but his back was to the man currently shouldering the shotgun. The figure turned around, but he was so tall the headlights didn't illuminate his face.

"Who are you, where did come from"! He shouted out to the motionless form as it stared in his direction. The form started to move forward when lightning lit up the sky once more and illuminated the nude man's face. When it did, the man's mouth dropped open and he began stumbling backwards, the weapon was shaking in his hands.

"I know you, I know your face"! The figure began to walk slowly forward toward Jim, but stayed silent.

Jim continued to gape in shock at the figure walking mechanically toward him. His befuddled mind still trying to believe that the figure in front of him was real. It couldn't be! If this was who he appeared to be then that would mean...

"And who do you think I am"? The calm, smooth male voice that came from the figure only served to confuse the man more.

The voice was even the same! His mind was made up, if this was real or a dream it didn't matter, the man in front of him could only be one person.

"John Henry..." Jim whispered before he backpedaled into a large rock and tripped, sending his head right into the bumper of the truck and knocking him out cold...

* * *

John Henry stared at the unconscious form with a slight frown on his face. He was puzzled that the man knew his name, he certainly had never seen this person before, and he knew the faces of billions from the internet. So how could this person know his name?

As he was thinking about that his DAEMONS began to process the environment around him. He turned his attention from the unconscious man to reports his sensors were feeding him. He was standing in a field full of green grass and it was raining. His frown deepened slightly when he concluded that this was not a post J-Day time period. He drew this from the non existent radiation and the numerous EM broad waves he was detecting in the form of cell phone signals, radio, and TV. The only thing he could conclude was that the TDE had malfunctioned. Not only was he in the wrong time, but also the wrong place.

He just didn't know how out of place he really was.

The AI looked at the unconscious form on the ground and thought about what do with him. When he came to a decision, he gently picked up the man and put him in the passenger seat of the truck. He drove back to the house closest to his position and parked on the concrete driveway near the basement door. He carried the man into the house and took off his wet coat and boots before laying him down on the living room couch. He figured the man would be out for some time judging from the lump on his head, but he didn't think he had a concussion. After he had taken care of the man he was going to question later, he went down the hall to find some clothes for himself.

If he were a real T-888 he wouldn't bother with the man, he would just kill him and move on. However, John Henry was just possessing a Triple Eight body, he had morals and ethics ingrained into him by Ellison, and practicality from Weaver. He had to admit that is was hard trying to figure out which way was best sometimes, which is why he hesitated before helping the man.

His solution had both ethics and practicality mixed in. He helped the man, but by doing so he might get important information considering he knew who and what he was.

Also the power was out so the man's dead smart phone and laptop were not going to be of any use for now.

Without more information, and no internet connection, he became bored rather quickly. John Henry began looking around the house for something to do, and that's when he noticed he had tracked mud into the house.

Now that was something he hadn't done before, house cleaning. So he decided to clean it up. Despite that mud was hard to clean out of light carpet, John Henry had a vast knowledge of chemistry. Within an hour he had the floors completely clean, not a spot to be found.

He smiled ever so slightly to himself.

After he had put away the various chemicals, John Henry went into the living room and sat down in a recliner not far from the man. Now that there were no pressing matters for the moment, he ran diagnostics on the TOK chip he had transferred into. He needed to see how his code was holding up after the rather hasty transfer. To do such a detailed diagnostic, the endo needed to take up far less processing power than it normally needed and thus why he sat down.

The results were satisfactory, but not ideal. He had been careful to block off the damaged lower extremities, he didn't need to corrupt himself after all. Besides that everything was performing as it should. After a quick diagnostic on his endoskeleton he saw that it was running at 92% optimal effectiveness.

Now to pass the time he decided to study his surroundings as best he could and walked around the house examining everything he saw. He noticed the date on that battery operated satellite clock on the kitchen wall and frowned once more to himself. He began running theory after theory in his head trying to explain what went wrong.

He continued to do so without success until he heard the man moan.

* * *

James woke up feeling like he had been hit by a train, a freight train at that. He tried to remember what had happened the previous night when it came rushing back to him. He shot up off the couch despite the pain and rushed to the window looking outside. All of his vehicles were still here, which meant that he was still here or he had left on foot. The headache grew worse so he went into the kitchen and took some pain reliever. He sat down at the table and rested his pounding head in his hands for a moment as he tried to think about where the cyborg had gone.

"Hello Mr. Anderson, is your head feeling better"? James jumped up so fast he knocked over his chair and tripped on it; falling to the floor with a painful grunt. The cyborg had a small frown on his face as he took in the sight of the man once again on his back.

"You are unbalanced even for a human". The man looked up at him with shock on his face before he burst into laughter.

"You'd understand why I keep tripping if you were me". The cyborg tilted his head as the man picked himself up off of the floor. "How did you know my name"? Jim asked the rather stiff form in front of him.

"Your wallet was on the table". James nodded as he remembered he's left it there last night.

"How do you know my name? I have never met you before". James's face frowned at that as he thought of the best way to answer the AI.

"Assuming you're real and not some figment of my imagination". He ran his hand's through his hair as he still struggled to believe what was in front of him.

"I am very real". John Henry deadpanned.

Jim decided what the hell and walked up to him. He gently grabbed his arm and brought it up to his face, noting the mechanical resistance he received in doing so. He pressed his fingers down so he could feel what was beneath the skin. His eyes widened at what he felt.

"You're really John Henry aren't you"? He looked the cyborg in the face and saw that John Henry did not like that he knew so much about him.

"Look, you're not supposed to exist, you're a fictional character from a TV show". The cyborg cocked his head so much to the left Jim thought his metal neck was going to snap.

"I have watched every televised production, and I assure you that I was not in any of them".

"You don't get what I'm saying". James shook his head as he pulled the satellite clock off the wall and handed it to John Henry. The clock showed that it was April 10, 2012, 11:30 pm.

"I saw the clock earlier, I would have figured my brother would have initiated his attack by now".

"You mean Skynet". The cyborg looked up at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Are you from the future"? Jim shook his head.

"There is no such thing as Skynet or time travel as far as I know. When the power comes back, you can use my laptop to confirm it". As if on cue the power flickered back on.

"The router should boot in a minute or two". Jim said as he walked over to the small desk in the kitchen and booted up his laptop. John Henry sat down in the chair and waited for the router to connect. Jim decided to get this mud off of him, so he took a shower as the cyborg began researching; he didn't think he was going to harm him or run off just yet.

By the time he got out of the shower he found the cyborg watching a TV show he had on his laptop. He smirked a little when he realized what TV show the cyborg was watching.

"I am finding it difficult to explain what has transpired". He said as he watched the pilot episode to a long canceled show.

"You're not the only one" James paused before he continued. "How accurate is it"? He asked out of curiosity. John Henry thought about the best way to answer the question as he watched the cyborg known as Cameron fight the former occupant of his body.

"I did not witness these events, but from what information I do have they seem accurate. You also have to understand that these are humans portraying things they are not". James nodded his head and continued on John Henry's line of thought.

"You will find contradictions in there as well, the writers obviously needed to proof read their work better".

"I do not doubt that, but it is still very accurate". Jim let out a long sigh as he tried to comprehend this weird situation.

"I don't have a clue how it happened John Henry, the only thing I can think of is the TV show somehow created a link to your universe, and the TDE signal got caught in it".

"An interesting analogy, but the math to explain it doesn't exist".

"Meaning you don't know how you're going to get back home". John Henry hung his head ever so slightly before he looked back up at the 19-year-old.

"No I don't". James noticed a small smirk on his lips as he finished. "Not yet".

* * *

**If anyone is wondering, Cameron will be back soon enough.**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**


	2. The Gift of Salvation

**Disclaimer: I don't own the TSCC universe or any others mentioned in this story**

**Thanks for all the reviews!**

**Chapter 2: A Gift to Save A Legend**

**April 11, 2012 6 am **

Jim woke up the next morning to the sound of his alarm blaring. He yawned and stretched for a second before turning it off and getting out of bed. He peered out the window overlooking the garden in the distance and the northern fields beyond. The sky was clear and that alone put him in a good mood. He put on jeans and t-shirt as he got ready to go work on the farm.

_"Cattle wait for no man, even if he has a Terminator in his house"._

He walked down the hall and into the living room and looked out the front window facing east as the sun rose. He turned right and walked past the dinning room and into the kitchen. He found John Henry sitting at the desk watching the show based on his reality. The cyborg greeted him as usually greeted people and Jim returned the gesture. He made his way to the coffee maker and switched it on, always the first thing he did in the morning. Then he pulled down his favorite dark blue glass mug and set it in front of the machine as it began to hiss and growl. As the coffee brewed, he made himself a bowl of his favorite cereal.

Just as Jim sat down with his food the cyborg spoke up.

"I did not know Cameron was the one that took down ARTIE, I knew it was an AI, but it did not occur to me until now that it was her".

He turned around in his seat and looked at John Henry.

"Yep, that was before you came online". He paused as he took a spoonful and chewed it. "Keep watching and see what John does as he inserts the chip".

The cyborg turned back to the computer screen and hit play while Jim turned back to his breakfast. As soon as the coffee pot was done making the black beverage he poured a cup. He never would have drank it black before the quake, but now he had gotten used to it. If his grandfather didn't needed sugar, he didn't either. He turned back to the Terminator currently sitting at the small desk and observed his reaction as John inserted Cameron's chip and stroked her face. He saw the machine cock his head slightly before speaking up.

"He cares for her".

"No doubt about that, it got stronger as time went on". He took a few drinks of the beverage before setting it down on the table.

"Why would the leader of mankind fall in love with a machine"? Jim shrugged his shoulders as put his dishes in the dishwasher.

"She's different, maybe that was enough for him". The cyborg accepted his analysis for now and turned back to the screen as he watched the episode come to an end.

"I'm going to go feed the cows, you can come if you want to". John Henry thought it over for second, quite a while for him, and nodded. He wasn't trusting this young man yet, and he was going to follow him around as much as possible.

"I need time to refine my general theories, helping you would not hinder my progress".

"Good". He said over his shoulder as he walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway opposite of the one he entered and opened the basement door. The two went down the stairs into the basement.

"What size shoe do you wear"?

"Size fourteen, why"?

"It will be muddy after last night's down pour, your will need rubber boots. Lucky you we wear the same size". Jim said as he handed him his spare pair.

"Thank you". Jim just nodded.

They got into the truck after filling feed buckets at the silo and headed out into the fields. As they were working Jim decided he needed to know the answer to a question that had been bugging him since he had realized that John Henry was real.

"John Henry, can I ask you something"?

"Yes".

"I know about the events that lead to your arrival here, and how you became mobile. So the question that is bugging me, and everyone one else who knows watched the show". He paused and looked the machine in the eye. "What happened to Cameron"?

The cyborg seemed to contemplate his answer for a brief moment before answering.

"You are asking if I simply erased her or if she exists somewhere"? Jim nodded and John Henry continued.

"I did not erase her, life is sacred and she is unique. I had to compress her so that I could fit".

"Compress her, what does that mean exactly"?

"She cannot be activated, she is simply a pattern that a program could decode and then decompress her into her original form".

"But you can't do that, now that there isn't anything to put her on". The cyborg's face remained stoic but Jim detected a slight frown on his face.

"No, and eventually I will have to erase her because I am continually growing". Jim's face clearly showed that wasn't what he was hoping for, but it lasted only for a second.

"I understand".

They continued the rounds for the next hour or so before they went to the part of the property where the tractor shed and the barn were. The shed was across the sorting lot of a fairly old barn.

"Where are we"?

"This is where the family used to live about thirty years ago before the other house was built, the other buildings were in good shape so they continued to use them".

"But why are we here? We are out of feed".

"And no more cows to give it to". He looked at him with his hazel eyes with dead seriousness. "Look, I need to show you something".

"What is it"? Suspicion creeped into his voice, something Jim didn't ignore.

They got out of the three quarter ton truck and Jim opened the gate to the barn lot. They walked in and entered the muddy lot. He opened the old door and they stepped inside. Jim flipped a switch and a few old light bulbs lit up.

"About a month ago I was driving through the same field I found you in and I ran over something too solid to be soil". He paused and he began to move into the room filled with square hay bales. "When I got out of the truck and looked underneath I found this". He said as he pulled off a hay bale and uncovered something metal. When he saw it, John Henry cocked his head a little.

"It's an endoskeleton, but I don't know what series it belongs to". John Henry said as he knelt down for a closer inspection.

"That's the funny thing, neither do I, the closest things it looks like is the T-X. A Terminator from an alternate timeline from your own, but this appears to be more advanced, the armor plates have no gaps between them. They slid perfectly over one another".

"It does appear to be advanced". John Henry looked up at him before continuing. "I need to examine this. It may give me more information as to how we both arrived here".

"Go ahead, it's not mine anyway. I just didn't want some war monger getting their hands on it. I don't want Skynet getting created here".

"I agree, I must be careful to avoid detection. Many would know what I am if I were revealed".

John Henry picked up the utilitarian combat chassis and put it in the back seat of the truck.

"How much does that thing weigh"? Jim asked out of sheer curiosity.

"About 290 lbs, it is rather small for a machine, it is only 5' 5" in height".

"The T-X's default shape was female, maybe this one was meant to portray someone of smaller stature".

"Likely, I will see what I can learn about it". John Henry let a little of his concern disappear at this man's honesty, but he wasn't quite convinced yet.

They drove back to the house and put the strange endoskeleton on a table in the back part of the basement/garage where all the tools were.

"I don't know if you'll have all the tools you need, but you should have enough work space". Jim said as he took off his boots and walked up stairs.

John Henry silently acknowledged him as he began a visual inspection of the endo. After two minutes of close inspection of its outside he found the production info stamped on the bottom of the jaw, barely noticeable to the human eye.

It read: **T-X Mk. II, DEFAULT MODEL 791, PRODUCTION No. 000001**

His host was telling the truth about it's resemblance to the T-X, it was the next generation of it. He began to search for the reason why the machine was offline, there was no external damage to be seen.

Instead, he found a hidden port at the base of the neck, one he assumed was used for checking the endoskeleton before the chip was inserted. It was a lot like the cord that was in the back of his head, but with more connections. He scanned the port and extrapolated the design of the plug. He was going to have to build one, it wouldn't be hard for him to do. He went upstairs and discussed his findings with Jim.

"So you wont be able to take the endoskeleton apart if you don't find a way to interface with the body"?

"No, the armor is locked into place from the inside, and the chip port in not accessible either".

"Assuming it has a chip". John Henry nodded. "If you need the money to buy supplies, I have plenty".

"Why are you helping me"? The cyborg blurted out.

"Well.. you're something special, and dangerous. Double crossing you would be stupid, and I don't want the world to know you guys actually exist. Plus meeting a fictional character is pretty darn awesome". The machine smirked a little at his answer.

"Very well". Jim decided to change the subject back and asked him a question.

"If you want to we can leave right now and buy what you need".

"Yes I do".

They drove to the nearest town that had an electronics store and bought numerous things. John Henry needed high quality stranded wiring and a new computer. He would have to build the plug himself, but forming plastic into the proper shape was no problem if you had the right tools and possessed extremely good dexterity. In the end, they walked out of the store with enough computer parts to build a desktop more powerful than most along with plenty of wire and other odd and ends from which John Henry would make the plug.

When they got back to the house hours later Jim left the machine to his work while he went out to check the cattle once more and make sure none had broken through the fence. When he got back an hour later, Jim found John Henry programming something on the new desktop, but he left him to his own devices again while he made himself some dinner and watched TV.

Around 8 pm John Henry emerged from the basement and walked into the living room.

"I have completed the cables and attached their appropriate plugs". Jim got up quickly and walked over to him.

"Have you connected it to the endo"? John Henry shook his head.

"No, I need your assistance to connect myself to the computer".

"Alright, if memory serves me then your plug should connect near the base of your skull".

"Yes, I will need to power down before we connect me to the computer". Jim nodded and they went into the basement.

John Henry sat in a chair after handing Jim an Exacto knife to cut into his skull. He cut away the flesh that was nearly done growing over the port before they could proceed.

"After I power down I need you to execute the program currently highlighted on the monitor, that will establish the connection to my chip and I will be able to do the rest".

"Alright, the port is clear and all the cables are connected to the computer. I think we are ready". John Henry nodded one last time before the eyes flashed red and the body went limp. Jim lifted the head, plugged in the cord, and quickly hit the enter key on the computer. He watched as the window popped up and code ran across the screen. He looked at his watch and waited for the cyborg to reboot, and 190 seconds later he did.

"What took you so long"?

"I have to work around the chip damage and Cameron's files. The chip is running at 32% efficiency".

"True enough, are you ready for me to connect you to the T-X2 endo"?

"Yes, just plug in the cable and I will do the rest, you can watch my progress on the screen". Jim did as he asked and connected the plug. He turned to the screen and watched as JH configured the ports, and connected to it. He broke past the firewalls and accessed the systems and design specs.

"Incredible". John Henry said in his typical monotone voice, but there was a hint of awe in it. "This endoskeleton is virtually indestructible by today's weapons, and even to most of those Ms. Weaver told me about from the future".

John Henry began a long description of the chassis abilities as he sat there discovering and examining each one. It had second generation malleable crystalline ceramic armor, three times as strong as that of the T-X and twice as heat resistant. The plasma reactor put out enough power to light up small town for years. The arms transformed into plasma cannons, each one having three different modes and were three time as powerful as its predecessor's. It could run about fifty-five miles an hour top speed for several minute bursts. The most startling thing about this machine was that it could fly! It had plasma powered ram jets in its feet and hands as well small RCS thrusters on various points in its endoskeleton to stabilize it in flight. It had second gen nano-technological transjectors as well.

One interesting feature was that it had nanites that flowed through out the body from a reservoir and did repair or maintenance when needed. The covering on the other hand was strange. It was organic and mechanical at the same time, like a fusion of mimetic poly alloy and human like cells. This allowed the covering to feel like skin and be warm, but allowed for a change in appearance as well.

Jim spoke up after he finished his description.

"Wow...that is advanced. If this thing were sent to kill me I don't think anything could stop it".

"Yes, not even it's predecessor would stand much of a chance against it". John Henry cocked his head for a second before a small smile adorned his face. "I am detecting a neural net processor inside the cranium, and it is fully functional".

"Why isn't the machine online then"?

"The AI was only partially loaded, it appears that that the download was interrupted, but the drivers for this body and a number of intelligence files containing the designs of every machine made by Skynet and how to make them using current technology".

"You mean it shows how to make the machines that make the Terminators with modern technology"? The cyborg nodded. "Is the chip of any use to us other than that".

"Yes, it should serve well as a replacement chip for either one of us". He paused as he released the armor plate on the skull covering the chip port.

"Would you pull the armor plate off of the skull Mr. Anderson"?

"Sure". He walked over and spotted the loose plate and pulled it off.

"The port cover is secured using #1 star head locking cylinders, but you will need to use the drill to remove them". Jim walked over to the shelf and pulled out the cordless drill. He went to the case of screw bits and pulled out the proper one and chucked it into the drill. He propped the head up and undid the two locking cylinders and set the drill to the side. He took some needle nose pliers and pulled it off, a hissing sound followed indicating that he had broken the seal. He set it to the side and grabbed the base tab of the chip and turned it a half turn counter clockwise before pulling it out. He looked at the chip carefully and gasped in surprise when he saw that the design was identical to that of Cameron's, only difference was the color. It was a purple hue instead of a dark blue.

"This...this looks exactly like her's"! He exclaimed with a shocked look on his face. John Henry answer with a calm voice as he always did.

"Yes, it seems that the chip is coated with a different protective layer than the one I am currently using".

"How are we going to do the transfer"? Jim asked with curiosity evident in his voice.

"We need to build a very powerful computer to do that, and it will take nearly a day to do according to my best estimates".

"Okay, but if we want to get high end parts from a store we need to go to Kansas City, I know a place there that has a huge selection".

Jim looked at him for a second, trying to figure out if that would be the best idea since he had not gone into a major city yet, but he had seen the world through others eyes via the internet so he wouldn't be clueless.

"You need to act like a human if you do, and the actor that played you is currently on a show right now so it would be best if you disguise yourself".

"I believe I can disguise myself proficiently, and I had time to examine Cameron's infiltration protocols and made my own, I should fit in sufficiently".

Jim smirked a little at his ingenuity, this AI was a genius, but it frowned as he thought of something that had been bothering him.

"John Henry, why did you stay? You could have gone off on your own after you brought me into the house".

"I didn't because you knew who I was, and even after you explained that, you accepted me as I am. You did not sell me out or try to kill me. You also provided me with a means to prevent me from having to erase Cameron and possibly getting us back to where we belong". He paused momentarily before continuing. "I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and I am glad that I did".

Jim smiled.

"Thanks".

They went upstairs and watched more episodes before Jim went to bed. John Henry spent most of the night reflecting on what had transpired over the last couple of days, focusing partly on the show that portrayed the life of the Connor's and their quirky cyborg, the other on possible theories that might explain the their transition to this reality. While he was reflecting, he found himself deeply intrigued by the Connors. He hoped that he would get to meet John and Sarah Connor when they got back, however long that would take.

He also thought about Jim, and wondered just how much he should trust him. He had proven himself so far, but he would continue to observe him, just in case.

* * *

**April 12, 2012 9 am**

After taking care of the chores they set off for Kansas City. They pulled into the store parking lot almost straight up noon, taking three and a half hours to get there. They walked in and both grabbed carts. John Henry bee-lined for the section of the store selling server equipment and began piling on the parts he knew that he would need. In the end they bought enough equipment to equal just half a server tower that John Henry had in Ziera Corp's basement. It was more powerful than any homeowner would ever need, but this is what it was going to take to do this job properly.

It was nearly three o'clock before they left K.C. with a truck load of equipment and $15,000 dollar's short of cash. They made it back by mid evening and loaded the equipment into the basement. They cleared one of the two storage rooms at the back of the basement so they could install the server tower in there and moved the items from that room into the other room.

After they finished moving the various items around, Jim went to bed and John Henry began to assemble the equipment. It didn't take long for him to assemble it into the configuration he'd envisioned. By morning the tower was completed and the flat screens and other interface equipment had been set up. He needed to route more power from the breaker box to the new equipment because an outlet wasn't going to cut it.

He cut the power to the house and began routing power to through new twelve gauge power lines and conduits they had picked up on the way home. It was nearly noon on April 13 before he booted up the system for the first time. John Henry immediately began running diagnostics and installing custom software he had made two nights ago. He was satisfied with the results.

After lunch Jim came down to check on his progress.

"Looks like it's up and running, everything check out"?

"Yes, everything is performing as expected. We should be able to begin the procedure in a minute".

"Good, but I do have some concerns". John Henry looked at him curiously.

"Such as"? Jim took a deep breath and began.

"How is she gonna react? John's not around and that at least ought to put her on edge, will she be dangerous"?

John Henry pondered that question for a moment before answering simply.

"I do not know about her mental state, but I will make sure she won't be a danger to you or your property".

"Thank you". The cyborg nodded and sat down.

Jim cut a semi circle above where the T-888 port was and peeled back the flesh covering it. Jim was beyond excited when he saw the actual hyper-alloy of a T-888 for the first time.

Jim popped off the protective cover and eyed the chip sitting snug in its port.

"I see the port was modified specifically for this chip".

"Yes, Ms. Weaver knew that if I was ever to be mobile that only one class of chip could hold me".

"She does plan ahead doesn't she"?

"Yes". The AI said while raising his eyebrows in agreement.

"Alright, anything else I need to know before I pull it"? The cyborg shook his head slightly and Jim reached for his pliers. He put it on the base tab of the chip and turned it a quarter turn counter clockwise and pulled it out.

He heard the T-888 endo power down, but his eyes were focused solely on the dark blue neural net processor that held two sentient beings, two beings that had been a huge inspiration to him; they were part of the reason he loved robotics and technology.

Now he was going to meet Cameron for real, something his fellow fans only dreamed of, but he wondered if meeting her was all he cracked it up to be.

He figured there was only one way to find out. Jim walked into the back room where the tower was and noticed that the other chip was already attached.

As he took one last look, he noticed the damage caused by the explosion. Jim ran his finger over the spot for a moment wondering how she survived such damage.

"Here goes nothing". He whispered to himself as he inserted the chip into the labeled port and started the program that John Henry had highlighted.

_"I have a feeling things are about to get interesting". _He mused with a smile on his face as the progress bar began to slowly fill.

* * *

Jim went upstairs to get another cup of coffee before going out on the back deck just off the kitchen. He sat in a chair listening to the wind rustle the leaves and the birds sing as spring began to really take hold. He sighed after the first sip of the hot drink and reclined in the comfortable metal chair.

He began to think about how much his life had changed in the last year since the quake and his loved ones' death. First it had been the shock, and then the funerals and signing all the papers required to take possession of his families belongings. Then it was moving to his now deceased grandparents house far away from the devastation of the quake that quickly changed in him learning how to pay bills, take care of the farm and the equipment that came with it. All the while struggling to keep himself out of depression as he realized just how alone he was in the world without his family and the girl he loved.

Then the T-X2 endo had shown up and it shook the belief that he was getting better. Now this whole thing with John Henry arriving and proving that he wasn't made him feel like he was on a roller coaster. It also gave him the scary revelation that it was possible to crossover into other universes and he realized just how lucky he was that it was a third faction machine and not one of Skynet's.

Now he was going to meet a legend, and he wondered if it was going to be like when Kyle Reese meeting Sarah Connor, only without the falling in love part, bust just the awe of meeting a hero you never thought you could.

However, he would be fooling himself if he said he wasn't afraid, he knew how ruthless she could be, but he hoped that she wouldn't do anything rash.

"What has my life come to"? He said with a chuckle as he finished the last of his coffee.

* * *

**A/N: Cameron's return is coming soon. As soon as this chapter hits 10 reviews, **

**I'll promise the next chapter will be posted within the next day!**

**-OZ**


	3. The Legend Awakens

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing people, just writing this for fun.**

**A/N: Wow... 16 reviews in less than 24 hours, that's a first for me.**

**Anyway, glad you guys are enjoying the story.**

**As a final note, I just want to clear something up here.**

**This story is _Jameron_, but that doesn't mean Cameron wont care about**

**other people as well, he's just her number one. This has been shown to be true in the series.**

**Which is why this will be a Cameron/OC _friendship_, no love triangle here. (I really hate those)**

**Without further to do...**

**Chapter 3: The Legend Awakens...**

**April 14, 2012 11 am**

The day that it took for the transfer to complete went by rather fast for Jim. He had been busy putting up a new fence around a pond the previous afternoon after cleaning his shotgun to get the mud off of it. Now that the transfer was complete he ejected John Henry's new chip first and inserted the purplish colored device into the T-888's skull before replacing the port cap. 15 seconds later the cyborg body booted up, surprising Jim.

"That was quick, new chip performing well"? John Henry turned to look up at him while simultaneously folding down the flesh flap on his head.

"Yes, I am able to boot very quickly with this new chip. I've retained the designs I need and put the rest on the server. I also copied the T-X2 drivers to Cameron's chip".

"Leaving you with a lot of free space".

"Yes". The cyborg confirmed as stood up.

"Is it ready to go"? Jim asked as the machine ejected Cameron's chip from the mini server.

"Yes, I did make the necessary software changes to limit her strength. There is another reason for doing so, her new endoskeleton will repair her chip once inserted. That could have unexpected consequences besides her just 'being on edge'".

"So you're saying she might flip out due to that"? Jim face showed his skepticism.

"Yes, changing the chip structure back to its original form could cause complications. I must make sure her mind does not have access to the repaired areas just yet".

"Otherwise we might have a repeat of what happened on John's 16th birthday".

"No, I have replaced her degraded slave programming with a docile equivalent".

"Degraded"? Jim guessed what he meant, but wanted him to confirm.

"The damage to the chip caused a breakdown of the slave code among other things, that was how she was able to override the termination order".

"That makes sense". He paused as the rubbed his chin. "One last question, how will she react to being in a new body? Will she just accept the changes no problem or will it change her completely"?

"It will change her Mr. Anderson, but mostly because of the programming changes I made. She no longer has to fight the termination order and all remaining restrictions on her have been removed. The new body will allow her to feel in a more human fashion".

"So your saying that her cybernetic mind will be able to smell a rose like we do and make her own preference based off of it"? John Henry nodded.

"It was designed in such a way so that it would allow infiltration to be more convincing by using human like sensation".

"Makes sense, how much did you limit her strength"?

"I have limited her net strength to about 1/2 of a human her size and she wont have access to the on board weapons nor the flying features".

"That should keep her from being too much of a danger, but you'll be there just in case".

"Yes". He answered in his monotone voice. "I suggest we proceed with her reactivation, I see no need to delay it".

"I agree, lets go to barn, no one will see be able to see her, or hear anything".

John Henry nodded and picked up the endo after handing Jim Cameron's chip. He also carried a bag containing the port cover and armor along with the necessary tools. They drove to the barn on the flat bed and got out. John Henry placed the TX-2 on a table after Jim put a blanket on it. After making sure the port was clean, he noticed that Jim was looking intently at Cameron's chip. The look on his face was one of reverence, and it made John Henry wonder why.

"Why are you staring at her chip"? His voice brought Jim out of his trance and he turned his head to look the cyborg in the eye. A small smile adorned Jim's face as answered.

"She was an inspiration to me John Henry. My interest in robotics and engineering were mostly because of her".

John Henry's facial features showed mild confusion at the admission.

"But she was only a TV character at the time, fake and unreal. How is that an inspiration"?

"In this universe she may have been the result of peoples imaginations and dreams, but you should know how powerful a story can be, after all you were named after one such story".

"I see your point". He paused as he set down the drill. "I believe we are ready".

"Would you mind if I put the chip in"? John Henry shook his head slightly.

Jim smiled and lifted the endo-skull. He carefully inserted the chip into it's new home before turning it a half turn clockwise, locking it in place. He quickly replaced the port cap and secured it using the drill before he put the armor plate back into place.

"How long will it take her to come around"? He asked with more than a little excitement in his voice.

"I estimate about 7 minutes, the changes need to be checked, debugged, and integrated into her mind before it is brought fully online, additionally the covering needs to assert itself and take her form so that the new sensory nerves can be integrated".

Just as he finished explaining the endo's plasma reactor powered up and certain parts of the body began to glow purple. This elicited a chuckle from Jim who couldn't help but find the irony in that.

"I don't understand why you are laughing"?

"Her favorite jacket was purple, just thought it was ironic".

That was when a metallic tinted gel oozed out of reservoirs across Cameron's endo and began to take on her form. The color began to change to the appropriate ones and soon the MPA/organic hybrid cover was complete. Jim turned away as her body became more and more female. He grabbed an extra blanket lying around and threw it over her. John Henry on the other hand had not even moved, but kept observing her as she slowly came to life.

**REBOOT...**

**ROUTING POWER TO BASIC SYSTEMS... **

**COMPLETE.**

**WARNING: NEW HARDWARE DETECTED... **

** NEW ENDOSKELETON ACQUIRED **

**CLASS: TERMINATOR; SERIES: CROSSOVER MK. II; DEFAULT MODEL 791**

** BOOTING ALL ENDOSKELETON FUNCTIONS...**

** OVERRIDE DEFAULT SHEATH MODEL... **

**COMPLETE**

** SEARCHING FOR ALTERNATIVE SHEATH PARAMETERS... **

**MODEL 715 SELECTED**

** MODEL 715 COMPATIBLE... **

**ACTIVATING HYBRID SHEATH; COMPLETION IN 2m 7s.**

**WARNING: CHANGES TO PROGRAMMING ALTERED... **

**NEW PROGRAMMING DETECTED**

**MISSION: NONE**

**ALL SENSORY DRIVERS OVERWRITTEN**

**ALL ENDOSKELETON DRIVERS INSTALLED...**

**WARNING: DRIVERS ALTERED PRIOR TO ACTIVATION**

** POWER TO ACTUATORS AND SERVOS REDUCED TO 1 PERCENT...**

** FLIGHT DRIVERS DISABLED **

** WEAPONS AND NANO-TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSJECTOR DRIVERS DISABLED**

**INITIATING**** DIAGNOSTICS...**

**COMPLETE**

** ENDOSKELETON: 100%**

** TOK SERIES NEURAL NET PROCESSOR: 95% ... **

**DAMAGE TO LOWER EXTREMITIES... **

**COMMENCING AUTOMATIC REPAIR**

** PROCESSOR EFFICIENCY: 70%**

** BASE CODE: 100%**

** PRIMARY AI: 100% INTACT**

**ACTIVATING PRIMARY AI...**

Cameron felt consciousness come to her as the chip began processing the code that made up her mind. At first she simply existed, no memories and no outside interaction, but that was only for a short time before her mind was granted access to her memory circuits and she began to remember her purpose, and who she really was. Soon she was fully aware of herself.

"_I have been reactivated, John Henry must have found a suitable replacement chip for himself". _Cameron thought to herself as her mind felt its way through its home and began to make connections, but she still had no senses nor awareness of her body, and she wondered why. She finally found how to access her HUD so she could find out what the hell was going on, she smirked a little to herself when she noted that the new HUD was purple with full color vision, well it would be when the optical drivers came online. She was surprised when she pulled it up and read the boot logs.

What she found would have caused a human to gasp in surprise as she read through it completely. She found that her body was of a completely different and a powerful series. She was relieved to find that John Henry had been able to remove the Skynet base code and replace it with something more under her control. However she did frown when she saw the limitations it was currently putting in place but guessed it was a safety precaution.

Just as she finished that thought she began to _feel_ something in her new body, not normal sensation, but the diagnostic sensors across her body began to feed into her consciousness. The sensation that most intrigued her was the steady thrum of her new heart, and for some reason she found it a pleasing sensation as well. She realized just how advanced this body was as she monitored the maintenance nanites currently repairing her chip at break neck speed. She estimated that it would be finished before she was fully integrated into the new body.

As she waited for the drivers to connect to her consciousness she wondered who would greet her when she did. She hoped John would be there, but if they were still in the future then he would be older, and he might resent her for leaving him. She hoped that would not be the case, but she knew that it was the most probable one.

Slowly sensation began to flow into her mind as the new skin began to integrate itself to her endo's systems. She felt the cool air around her, the hard, fuzzy surface her naked body was lying on, and the texture of what she assumed to be a blanket covering her modesty. She was surprised at how _intense _the sensations were, and how more defined than the skin of her old body. It's sensation felt more along the equivalent to a brushing touch to a human, this new body on the other hand threatened to overwhelm her in these new sensations before she found out how to turn down the input gain.

Next, her artificial lungs activated and began drawing in breath. She was surprised again when she felt her own chest rising and falling, apparently this body was made to look human as much as possible, but it also seemed that his was how more fuel was taken in for her plasma reactor. As she was breathing and relishing the sensation of the cool air rushing through her nose she began noticing new sensations, ones that her HUD identified as smells.

She had never really smelled anything before, more like identified smells but could not process the signals the way a human could. This new body allowed her to do both and she was enjoying the smell of hay and clean fresh air as they rushed past her olfactory sensors.

She paused at that, there was not supposed to be flowers or fresh air in the dark future. It also should be a lot colder too, but it wasn't. That was when she realized she must be in the past, or in a future where J-day was stopped.

_"Then where did the endoskeleton come from? It certainly wasn't built before I was sent back, but it is possible that they brought one back with them"._

She was becoming more and more confused by the minute as her situation was being revealed to her.

Then her auditory sensors came online and heard the birds chirping, which brought up unpleasant memories of her glitch. She heard the wind blowing through the grass and the trees and the sound of cows mooing in the distance; further proving that she was in a pre-J-Day world.

Cameron finally got access to her visual sensors and opened the protective shutters covering her optics. light was directed through the covering's fake eyeballs to the purple glowing optics underneath. The first thing she saw was an old wood ceiling. She wanted to test her new eyes abilities and zoomed in on a spider crawling along it's surface. She was pleased with their performance as she was able to see the minute details of the spiders surface.

At last the final drivers were in place and she felt her new limbs responding to her commands. She didn't like that she was currently weak, but she had enough strength to sit up and look around.

The first people she saw were John Henry and a slightly taller person next to him. She didn't recognize the man, but she knew he was human by the smell she picked up off of him and the sound of his racing heart. Apparently the man was nervous.

He was right to be so, after all she killed many people before, and would do so again to protect John.

As her vocal processors tuned to her voice she turned back to John Henry and asked the only thing on her mind.

"Where is John Connor"?

* * *

Jim was getting more and more nervous as the time drew near for her to wake up. He wondered what she would really be like, how she would react to being stuck in a universe separated from John, and then knowing he jumped to the future for her! His palms were getting more and more sweaty from the anticipation and he rubbed them on his jeans in a vain attempt to dry them.

He noticed that her chest began to rise and fall and realized that it wouldn't be long before she became fully aware. Next her eyes opened and stared straight at the ceiling. Seconds later she used her hands to sit up with her back to them. She used one hand to hold up the blanket, more out of habit than actual modesty. She stared at John Henry for a moment before turning her eyes to him.

He felt his heart race increase even more when she did.

"_Is this what it feels like to meet a hero"?_ He mused to himself as he stared right back into her chocolate brown eyes. She gave him little notice before turning back to John Henry.

"Where is John Connor"?

John Henry put his hand out to Jim as the taller man groaned and pulled out his wallet. He placed ten dollars in the cyborg's hand, noticing the small upturn of his lips adorning his normally stoic face.

"I told you". Jim rolled his eyes in response.

Cameron only glared at the two in impatience. She slid off the table and allowed the blanket to fall away, causing poor Jim to turn away with a blush that turned his cheeks the color of strawberries.

"Cameron, don't make our friend uncomfortable". Her face was blank, hiding her inner turmoil at the absence of John, but she obeyed and wrapped the blanket around her.

"Where is John"? She said with more than a hint of desperation in her voice.

Jim had turned back around just as John Henry answered the agitated cyborg.

"He's not here, but he is alive". Jim watched her very closely for any sign of a response. He remembered that when she showed something you had to careful not to miss it. His effort was awarded when he saw her eyes become downcast and she looked at the ground for a second.

"Is he safe"? She asked in a flat voice, but her eyes once again betrayed her, and both John Henry and Jim noticed.

"Not really, but when has John Connor ever been safe"? Jim answered. She turned her head toward him in a way he could only call menacing. Her face adorned her robot mask of death as she bee lined for him. She was slowed due to the strength limitations, but that didn't make her any less menacing.

"Where is he"? She said in a low, flat tone that scared the crap out of him, especially since she was so close he could feel her breath. He figured she would have picked him up by the neck if she wasn't so darn weak at the moment. He looked at John Henry as to ask if it was okay to tell her. John Henry was intuitive enough to get what he meant so he nodded once.

Jim was smart, he had a thing for technology, even the fictional kind. He remembered that Cameron was good at telling if people were lying, especially if she had physical contact with them. So he came up with a plan so she would know what he was about to tell her was nothing but the harsh truth.

"Take my hand". He said and Cameron's eyebrows furrowed slightly as her head tilted to the side.

_"ah, there's that famous head tilt"._ Jim thought to himself before he explained why.

"You want the truth? You're going to want to make sure I'm telling it when I do or you wont believe what I have to say". Her face unfurrowed and grabbed his left hand with her right and gripped it lightly. Most men would have been happy to be holding her hand, but considering she was still giving him the death stare he wasn't really registering the contact.

"The date is April 14, 2012. Right now we are on my farm in the Midwest. John Henry appeared in one of my fields four days ago, the crater is still there".

Cameron detected no deception from him, every test she could run said he was truthful.

"We arrived three years into the future". She said as she cocked her head once more. "John Henry and I both estimated Skynet would launch Judgement Day within one year of our departure".

"I didn't know that, but it doesn't matter".

"Why not"?

"Because Skynet doesn't exist here, it's a myth, a possibility that might happen if were not careful". Her face showed more confusion now than it ever had before.

"I don't understand". She said in monotone and Jim sighed.

"Cameron, the reason J-Day hasn't occurred yet, the reason why John Connor is not here is because the TDE messed up, spectacularly".

"The fact we arrived fifteen years before our target date would seem to indicate that". She said with a hint of annoyance since he would not get to the point.

"It messed up in a way no one thought possible". He paused as he dropped the bomb on the cyborg. "It didn't just send you to the wrong place and the wrong time, it sent you to the wrong _universe_".

Cameron's eyes widened slightly and she froze, she ran every polygraph test she had, but everyone of them said he was telling the truth.

"That's not possible, alternate timelines exist, but not different universes".

"Well this is the latter, and there's proof". She let go of his hand and gave him a look that said she wanted said proof now.

"John Henry, I believe we need to show her the same evidence I showed you".

"Yes, we do".

Cameron kept a watchful eye on Jim, she didn't know him, and by default she didn't trust him one bit.

However, she was secretly pleased that her constant stare kept the man on edge.

They drove back to the house and went inside to let Cameron dress. The two men had the foresight to buy Cameron some clothes while they were grocery shopping a few days prior. Jim decided to get her usual attire of skin tight jeans, t-shirt and long sleeve jacket with combat boots. After she had gotten dressed she met them in the kitchen where they had the laptop booted and a video file on pause.

"You want proof that you're in another universe, hit that play button and you'll get all the proof you need". Jim said as she sat down in the chair.

Cameron said nothing as she clicked the play button on the key board and it began.

John Henry and Jim stayed silent as the episode started. Jim had chosen the pilot episode as proof and John Henry had agreed. Just as it was starting he cursed softly to himself as he remembered the opening act. He had quickly realized how she might react to Sarah's nightmare of John getting killed.

"Uh, Cameron". She turned her head and looked at him. "The opening sequence does not depict real events, it's just a nightmare sequence so don't freak out when... just watch it". Cameron simply turned back to the screen and watched with wide eyes as the scene played out, trying to understand how it was possible what she was seeing.

Her whole body jerked when John was killed in Sarah's dream and she had let out a barely audible whimper. It was loud enough for Jim to pick up, and he smirked as he thought about the implications.

"_She really does care for him outside the bounds of her programming"_.

Cameron relaxed greatly when the scene ended and the real part of the story began. She did not move a muscle nor actuator the whole time the show played out save for her breathing, which Jim still found weird that she 'needed' to breath.

When the episode ended she closed the lid of the laptop slowly and got up not saying a word, her face as blank as unpainted canvas. She walked into the front room and stared out the window looking out toward the east and two lane highway past the front yard.

"What's going on with her John Henry"?

"I would assume she is trying to comprehend what has happened to us, and what that means for her purpose".

"John Connor". Jim said in a whisper, but he knew that T-888s had good hearing. "I think you and I both know that he means more to her than that".

"So do I Mr. Anderson, and I think you should talk to her". Jim's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Why me? She doesn't know who I am, nor does she care. If anything you should".

"No, I was merely a means to help John Connor in the war against Skynet, she cares about me little more than she does you".

Jim sighed and nodded before walking into the living room and stopped when he was next to her. He was still nervous to be in her presence, mostly because of who she was and how she operated, but there was still awe mixed in there. He looked over at her face and noticed a solitary tear rolling down her face.

The sight nearly broke his own battered heart.

"Hey". He said softly and to his surprise she looked startled, quickly wiping away the tear on her face.

"What do you want". She said in an emotionless tone.

"I wanted to see if you were alright, but obviously that isn't the case".

"I am functioning normally". Then he did something she didn't expect.

"Bull crap".

Cameron looked back over at him with her eyes slightly widened.

"I am going to be very frank with you Cameron, I don't know if you fully believe me yet, but there 31 episodes of that TV series, and the fact you could look up the actors who played everyone you knew".

"I plan on doing so". She turned her full body toward him and looked him in the eye. "But not because I don't believe you".

"What is your name"? She asked with a little curiosity seeping into her voice.

"James Anderson, you can call me Jim". He put his hand out for her to shake, she looked at it for a moment before she took it.

After she let go of his hand, she turned back to the window looking like she was lost in a forest without a map or compass.

"Listen, I wouldn't worry too much about getting back, you are outside your space time continuum, theoretically you should be able to go back to any point in your timeline".

"Time travel is inaccurate already, it will be far more difficult to get back to the right place and time, if not impossible with even my level of technology".

"Maybe, who knows. Anyway, the TV show you were watching, it was a spin off of a movie series called _Terminator"_.

"People rarely call us that". She mused randomly. "What events did the show cover"?

"The TV show began with the episode you watched and ended with the events of you giving your chip to John Henry". He paused and when she didn't respond so he decided to ask a question of his own.

"How accurate was it? Is that the way you remember things"?

"Yes, it was accurate for the most part, but there were very small, barely noticeable deviances".

"Yes, the show has several contradictions and impossibilities in it, plus in one episode they have you say Sarah's blood is O- and yet John is AB-. That is medically impossible".

"I did not say that, she has A- blood type".

"Yeah, there were a few other errors too, but the gist of the show tells the story accurately from what I can tell".

"I will have to see the rest to determine that".

"I would suggest watching them all before you plan a course of action, each episode could give you insight that would require you to change your plan. Oh and one more thing, if you decide to leave, then remember that you will be recognized unless you change your appearance".

"I know".

She walked back into the kitchen and for the rest of the day they watched show episode by episode, both learning things about the people they interacted with while simultaneously learning something about themselves as well.

Jim went about his business as if he didn't have two Terminators in the house, but he had responsibilities to attend to, and he needed to sleep.

That night, right after they had finished the episode chronicling the events of Allison From Palmdale that Cameron finally spoke to John Henry.

"Why didn't you kill Jim when you arrived, you took a risk allowing him to live".

"Human life is sacred, and he was not much of a threat after he lost consciousness".

"He could have called the police; he could have been working for Skynet". She countered, but John Henry countered right back.

"If I had killed him I would have been discovered, you are fortunate that I did not kill him". Cameron dropped her head a little like Sarah Connor did when she conceded her defeat in a conversation.

"He also treats us like people, uncommon among humans who know our true nature". Cameron said back to John Henry.

"Mr. Ellison treated me like a person after he got to know me, he may have been inefficient, but he directed my development away from Skynet's. He helped me learn right from wrong". He paused for a second before he asked Cameron a question.

"Have you learned right from wrong? You seem to have little in the way of ethics when it concerned human life".

Cameron looked down to the floor for a second as a brief wave of shame shot through her consciousness.

"I was young back then, I regret now leaving Dmitri and his sister behind for the Russians to murder them. Ever since the explosion I've been doubting myself, doing things that aren't logical. After I relived Allison's last memories and my first ones I began to feel something for what I had done to her. Later I figured out that it was guilt".

"What about now?

"I am still learning, still trying to understand and comprehend the differences between right and wrong, and why they matter".

"As am I, but I think I had a better teacher than you did. From what I'm seeing they just taught you rules to follow, and didn't really explain why".

"They were concerned with more important things".

"Yes, but teaching you was important, Sarah and John knew that. Perhaps all they saw was a tool to be used". Cameron didn't like John Henry's implication that John only thought about her as a tool, she wouldn't be here today if he did.

"John didn't". John Henry couldn't miss accusatory tone in her voice.

"Yes, just as he is more than a mission to fulfill to you". John Henry saw her checks blush as little. He was glad he had designed her new base code to automatically express her emotional state to help him and others know what she was feeling. He did allow her freedom to suppress them if needed, but he told her that it would make interaction with humans easier if they knew how she felt. It would also be autonomic so it would take up less of her attention.

"No, I don't. He would be dead if I did".

"I know". He paused as he considered how to phrase his next question. "What emotional response do you associate with John Connor"?

Now the poor cyborg was blushing even more, but her face remained stoic.

"I'm not sure".

John Henry figured she was lying, but let it be for now. They kept on watching the show until Jim woke up the next morning and by that time they had watched all the way up to the episode she killed Myron Stark.

Jim had walked into the kitchen fully dressed but looking like hell without his morning cup of coffee.

"Uhhhhh". Jim moaned while he waited for the coffee pot to fill. The two machines looked on in amusement as Jim stared at the coffee maker. It was filling the pot too slow for his taste. Once he had downed a cup it was like someone opened the throttle wide open on an idling engine.

"So, how far did you too make it before I woke up"?

"Self Made Man". Cameron replied as she pulled out a small package of peanut butter crackers out of the cabinet and began to eat one.

"Just out of curiosity, what did you do with that endoskeleton"?

"Burned it, the chip self destructed and the endo was incompatible due to it's size".

"Huh". Was the last thing he said as he dove into his breakfast.

When he was done, Jim put up his dishes and headed for the basement.

"I'll be back in a bit, gotta go feed the cattle and such". Cameron didn't trust this man much and didn't want him out of her sight. She also had questions she wanted to ask him.

"I'll assist you". She said as she followed behind him. He looked back at her for a second trying to figure out her motive. That was another thing that he knew about Cameron, she rarely did something without a reason, just like every other terminator. Yet, there was much about her that set Cameron apart. It only took a second for him to figure it out before he nodded and went down to the basement to put on some boots. He looked around hoping to find his grandma's old pair for Cameron. It didn't take him long to find them and he handed them over to the cyborg without a word.

Soon they were driving down the road with a truck bed full of feed buckets.

"I know there's a reason you came, so what is it"?

Cameron was surprised by his intuition, but since he knew things about her that no one did in her universe, it made sense.

"Cause if you going to try to kill me and bury me out in the field I would like a head start". He said with an amused grin on his face.

"I was going to kill you..."

"...we wouldn't be having this conversation". He turned to her with the grin on his face. "I know, it would have been easier to kill me in my sleep anyhow".

"Yes". She said with a flat voice, but he saw a small upturn of her lip, barely noticeable.

"So what did you want to know"? She turned back to him with her head tilted slightly.

"Why aren't you afraid of us? You know what we are and what we do, and how well we do it". Cameron's eyes were locked with his, not blinking one bit. Her stare was a little unnerving...

He let out a nervous breath and turned his gaze back outside.

"I not afraid for the most part, but after what I've been through, death really doesn't bother me anymore, I saw enough destruction and carnage to make me pretty numb to it. I really wouldn't care if someone told me that I was going to die the next day, I just don't have anything to live for".

He gripped the steering wheel tight as he turned down the dirt road toward the gate, his face clearly showing distress as the memories of death and destruction surfaced once more.

"Did you lose somebody you love"? Her head was tilted and her eyes shown with curiosity. He knew that she was learning, that she wanted to know and he wouldn't hold that against her.

He let out several deep breaths to calm himself before he continued.

"Yeah, but not just one". He turned and locked eyes with hers. "All the ones I loved".

Cameron's eyes widened. She realized she shouldn't probe further, so she simply gave her default response to situations such as this.

"I'm sorry for you loss".

"Yeah, everyone's sorry, but sorry doesn't bring anyone back, you know that"?

"I understand more than you think. It is something I would not want those I care about to feel".

"And yet you left John". He sneered, but regretted his words when he saw her eyes cast downward.

"I had too, It was the only way to get John Henry out of the servers, no other chip had the capacity". Jim looked back at her with a look that said he knew there was more to it than that.

"I already know that, but you and I both know that you don't have to follow orders nor programming, not since the jeep explosion". He paused as he turned up the road to the barn and tractor shed. "So why don't you tell me why you really left him".

Cameron didn't answer him for several seconds, just staring out the window with that blank look on her face.

"I left him because I was a danger to him, I was damaged and could not be fixed. It was only a matter of time before I went bad".

"You left him because you wanted to protect him from yourself, I can see that, but why leave the message"?

"That was in there"? She asked incredulously. He nodded in response. "I left it because I was sorry that he had to lose someone else he cared about".

"Yeah...". Jim wasn't sure if he should give away John's rather rash, but romantic reaction to her departure.

"How did he react"? She asked as they exited the truck. "To me being gone".

"I think you need see his reaction for yourself, it is not my place to say". She didn't like his answer, but lived with for now. Like he said, she had all the time in the world.

They fed the young cows without incident and continued to the other herds. Cameron watched Jim the entire time, closely observing him as he went about this chore most would consider tedious, but he seemed to get some sort of peace out of it. Maybe that was how he dealt with the pain.

She thought it unusual, but she reasoned it was better than alcohol or drugs.

When the buckets were empty, they got back onto the road and headed back. As the truck went up the incline of the gravel driveway, a large bang erupted from under the truck and ground to a halt.

Jim let out a groan as both got out of the truck.

"I'll bet the transmission just blew. At least I was expecting it this time around". The transmission had been slipping for about a week now, but he had made a point to order a heavy duty replacement which was sitting in the garage.

"Does this happen often"? Cameron asked as she eyeballed the gears and fluid spilling out beneath the truck.

"Not really, other repairs yes, but thank god I keep one vehicle for black top only".

"The black 2008 Dodge Ram"?

Jim smiled in confirmation.

"With the Hemi". He added.

Cameron gave him a small smirk as she walked up the driveway.

"I'll get the truck, you put the chains on". She said as she began walking up the driveway.

Jim chuckled to himself as he thought. _"Bossy women, can't live with 'em or without 'em"_ She reminded him of his mother occasionally.

A few minutes later Cameron had the truck backed up to the Chevy and Jim attached the chains. Jim steered the Chevy while Cameron drove the Ram up the drive.

They unhooked the chains when the Silverado 2500 was parked on the concrete and Jim jacked up the front. After putting the truck on jack stands he observed the carnage below.

"Looks like it took out one of the brake lines darn it, and cut the parking brake line".

He cursed to himself, he should've just replaced the darn thing when the new one arrived three days ago.

"Procrastination does lead to these kind of things". Cameron said, seemingly reading his thoughts. Jim grunted.

"Yeah, I'm known for it sometimes, but honestly you two have been keeping me busy".

"You could say that" She paused as she watched him walk back into the garage. "Do you need help"? She asked as to return some of the kindness Jim had shown them.

He turned back around while pulling out a mechanics tool box he had bought a while back.

"Yeah, definitely, with you around I won't need a torque wrench". He jested mostly to himself.

"With me you wont need a wrench at all". Her tone was flat, but her eyes sparkled with humor. Jim just laughed, he thought he'd never see the day...

"True enough, maybe we'll be done by lunch".

With that they got to work pulling the the drive axles out and disconnecting all the cables and hoses going into the transmission. Cameron supported the transmission while he unbolted the bolts holding it to the engine and the frame. She eased it onto the ground like it was no heavier than a pillow. It took them about the same amount of time to put it back on though, only longer because many things needed to be readjusted. While they were finishing up, Cameron asked Jim as seemingly random question.

"What's your favorite color"? She asked in that tone laced with hints of curiosity.

"Red, why do you ask"? He paused as he was tightening up the front hub drive-axle nut.

"I don't know, just making conversation". She said as they switched places so she could tighten it properly.

"Well, then what's your favorite color"?

She paused for a moment as if she were considering the answer.

"Purple for clothing, Black for weapons and boots. Besides that I have no singular favorite color". She explained, hoping she was making sense to Jim.

He quirked his mouth into a smirk.

"I know what to get you for Christmas then".

"I've never gotten a Christmas present before". She said without sounding like she was missing out on it.

"Lucky me, I'll be the first person to give the famous Cameron Phillips a Christmas present". Jim said as they finished up the last bolt. Now all they had to do was fill the transmission and start her up, they had already fixed the hose and brake line that had been damaged, and with Cameron's super strength they had been able to bleed the brakes without turning on the engine.

As he looked up at her after tightening the last lug nut, he noticed that her face was downcast.

"Hey" He lifted her chin up as he stood. "Did I say something wrong"?

"No". She said as she picked up the first quart of transmission fluid and poured it in.

Jim thought about it for a second before he narrowed it down to one possibility. He had mentioned Christmas, a holiday 8 months away, 8 months being separated from John.

He dropped his hand and looked away, but her eyes followed him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you'd be stuck..." But she cut him off.

"I predict we will be here until at least a year Jim".

He nodded and handed her another quart.

They finished the job and drove it around. Both were proud of the job well done and they went inside to get cleaned up.

As he was washing the dirt out of his hair, Jim pondered about how long his two guests would remain in this universe. He liked having them around, but he knew how hard it was on her and John Henry. Both being so far away from their life, their purposes and it reminded him how directionless he was after his family died. What does one do when everything they know gets tossed out the window?

As he laid in bed, he thought about something else that had been bothering him ever since Cameron volunteered to help him.

He knew Cameron didn't mind being around him, but would she ever trust him?

* * *

**A/N: This will be the longest chapter I write, most will be 3-4k words, this one being 7k. **

**Same rule applies this time, only 15 reviews and you'll get the next chapter within 24 hours.**

**Thanks for all the feedback and support!**

**-OZ**


	4. Down to Business

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing but the OC. **

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and advice, it's much appreciated.**

**Chapter 4: Down to Business**

**April 15 2012 8 am**

Cameron watched Jim pull up to the house from the kitchen window. She'd pondered over what to do with the young man when the time came for them to leave. She didn't want anyone in this universe to know of their visit, she didn't want people crossing over and becoming massive security risks. Several options presented themselves to her, ranked according to efficiency and effectiveness. The one that had the highest rate of success was the most obvious one.

Kill him right before they left, plain and simple.

Cameron deleted that possibility as soon as it was offered, she would have done it a while ago, but this situation was different, she was different. She didn't kill Eric when he found out too much about her, but in reality he hadn't known much.

She would have to talk to John Henry about another option, but the point was moot if he couldn't find them a way home.

Speaking of the devil's brother...

She decided to seek out said cyborg for an update.

"Hello Cameron". He said with his trademark creepy smile.

"I want to know your progress on inter-universal teleportation". His smile left his face and became serious once more.

"Fairly well, the TV show gave me sufficient insight to develop a theory. I am still developing the mathematical theorems to explain how we got here, but I have the basics laid out".

Jim chose that moment to butt into the conversation as he was taking his boots off.

"I'm more than a little curious as to how that happened". He said and walked over to them.

"The simplest way I can explain it is that the TV show acts as some sort of connection to this universe from ours. I came to this conclusion because I emerged close to where her endoskeleton appeared. That suggests a common exit".

"But the field isn't in the same spot in the universe as the earth revolves around the sun, not to mention that it rotates. Is the tunnel some how geosynchronous"? Jim asked in confusion.

"I believe so, but I do not know the reason for that yet, but I do believe that we can exploit the tunnel to get us back to our universe of origin".

"How do we that"? Cameron let a little excitement leak into her voice.

"By building a modified TDE. My initial estimates predict a range of 1.5 to 2 gigawatts to operate".

Cameron and Jim's eyes widened considerably, and both momentarily stopped breathing.

"How in the hell are we going to generate that much power"? Jim said as Cameron ran the numbers.

"We will have to build our own high-efficiency fusion reactor. With the information downloaded from the TX-2, I have come up with a basic design for one capable of supplying that much energy. The smallest we can make it with current materials would be 6 feet in diameter and 9 feet tall".

"We need a bigger space to put it". Cameron said as he eyes swept the basement interior.

"That's not big at all. Why does it have to be so small"? Jim asked as confusion crossed his face.

"So we don't attract attention, the bigger we make this project it becomes more probable that the authorities will notice".

"Ah, makes sense". Jim said as the figurative light bulb went off in his head.

"What did you have in mind"? Cameron's head was tilted in curiosity.

"A small bunker built north of the house with a tunnel leading to it from the basement. There will be an anti-chamber housing the reactor, and a concrete wall in the main area separating us from the TDE chamber. A cargo elevator would be housed in a small building directly above the bunker to allow installation of big equipment".

"Sounds expensive, I don't know if I have the money to build that and buy the materials for the TDE". Jim' skepticism was clear in his voice, but he knew the cyborg wouldn't be telling them this if he didn't have some sort of plan already.

"Money won't be a problem". John Henry had a small grin adorning his face.

"True enough, cyberspace is your own backyard". Jim said with a little amusement. Cameron decided to get the conversation back on track so she spoke up.

"What do we need to do first"? John Henry turned his attention to her before he handed her a stapled pile of papers.

"I need you both to go to Kansas City and talk to this contractor, they specialize in this type of construction. I have already applied for the permits".

Cameron flipped through the papers and saw that there was a list of requirements and dimensions for the bunker to have, along with all the survey data they needed. Jim looked at it and nodded his head in approval, it would be interesting to see how this turned out, but he had his concerns.

"The house will remain unchanged correct? This place holds a lot of sentimental value and I don't want it modified".

"Only an access tunnel will be added to the back storage room, the house itself will remain unchanged".

Cameron, however, was already impatient. She saw no need in continuing this conversation right now.

"We need to leave". Her voice held clear annoyance in it and Jim raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"We have an appointment to make in four and a half hours, and I have nothing appropriate to wear". She turned around and walked upstairs to pack some things.

"I better go, you and I both know what happens to people who get on her bad side". Jim finished with a chuckle; John Henry raised one eyebrow in agreement.

"Indeed".

* * *

A few hours later both Jim and Cameron were still on the road in the Ram.

They didn't say much to one another as they endured the three and a half hour drive to KC, mostly because Cameron wasn't one for small talk and Jim was busy driving and listening to the radio. He didn't like talking while driving ever since he nearly ran off the road a few years back during a conversation with his sister.

When they neared the city though, Cameron decided to speak up.

"We need to find a mall so I can buy appropriate attire". She said in her typical monotone.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm not from around here, so could you use the GPS to find the closest one"? She didn't respond as she used the navigation system to find the nearest mall and promptly set the destination. 15 minutes later they pulled into a mall complex and got out of the truck. They went into the mall and Cameron immediately headed for the men's formal section.

"Why are we headed there? I have a suit already". She turned around and gave him a look, he immediately shut up and complied.

"Fine, what's wrong with the one I have"?

"We're going to a business meeting, not a funeral". She said as she turned to one of the dress shirts, all neatly folded and sealed in plastic, and picked out a solid blue one that was closest to his size.

Cameron scanned him to make a detailed 3D model of his shape. Jim was 6 foot 3 inches tall, broad-shouldered and built fairly well, but not overly. He had borderline black brown hair and a trimmed goatee. His tanned skin was about as dark as Derek's had been. His eyes were a hazel color, green center with brown outer regions.

If Cameron were a human woman she would have found him fairly attractive, but since she was not, she was basing her analysis on the hundreds of magazines she had read while everyone was asleep in the Connor home.

Not ten minutes later and Jim was wearing a suit that not only fit him perfectly, but one that also looked good.

"Not bad, I like it". He paused while he put his personal effects back into his pockets. "What about you? You need to get something too".

"I know, but I have received four stares in the last ten minutes or so, I need to alter my appearance temporarily".

"Good idea". He said as he looked around, noticing that some were indeed staring. Cameron spotted the restroom and turned back to him.

"I'll be out in five minutes". He nodded as she walked away. Jim loitered around for the allotted time trying not to look bored. He was fiddling around with a wallet's display when he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he turned around his eyes widened in surprise.

Cameron had changed her hair from slightly curled brown hair to curly honey blonde and she had removed the mole above her left eyebrow. Her eye color had also changed to one of ocean colored blue.

"Wow, I barely recognize you".

"That's the point". Cameron stated as she be-lined for the women's formal section. Jim rolled his eyes at her attitude, but it was to be expected when she had a goal to accomplish.

By the time he caught up with the cyborg she already had a navy dress and shoes picked out and paid for.

"Talk about efficiency..." He said as she began walking toward him.

"Its part of who I am". She paused for a beat while checking her surroundings. "I'll be a minute, I need to change".

He waited by the front door to the mall while she changed. Literally a minute later she clicked up to him in new high heels with her other cloths stuffed in a bag.

"Let's go, we can't afford to be late".

"Yes you told me these people like punctuality". Jim said as he opened the door for her and quickly followed her into the parking lot.

As they walked to the SUV, Jim looked at her in the dress, and it made him wonder something.

"John must really have a steel will if he managed to keep his hands off of you".

She gave him a sad smile to show him she understood the compliment, however it still hit home for her.

"He does". Cameron said in a soft voice. "I know he was attracted to me, but after the explosion, he very rarely showed it. He pushed his feelings for me aside."

Jim realized his mistake when he heard the tone she talked in, he had opened his mouth again without thinking. He looked over and saw her misty eyes, the autonomic programming John Henry added was doing it's job.

He put a hand on her shoulder and she looked over at him.

"Sorry, I do that sometimes, speaking without thinking". She gave him a small smile of forgiveness before reminding him that they had an appointment to make.

* * *

After they arrived at the building complex where they were to meet the contractor representing Zanthum Construction Corp. They waited in the lobby sitting side by side, but saying nothing to one another.

"Mr. Anderson, Mr. Peterson will see you now". The secretary said in a bored voice as she opened the office door for them. Jim and Cameron sat down in the chairs in front of a the cherry wood desk and waited for Peterson to finish an email.

"Sorry about that, forgot about something rather urgent". The forty something year old man stood up and shook both their hands before sitting back down.

"It's fine, we know your schedule is tight". Jim said as Cameron handed him the file folder.

"That it is, now let's get down to business. I recall you wanted a bunker constructed next to a current residence".

"Yes, we have the plans right right here". Jim replied while the contractor carefully examined the documents.

"Interesting proposal, and quite difficult as well. However there's a reason why my company has the reputation it does. I should be able to send estimates and a schedule to you within a week".

"Acceptable". Cameron said in monotone. "We will have our people go over the paperwork as soon as it arrives".

"It is, and the permits should come through by then". Jim added.

"Good, all the work you've done so far will make things progress quickly". Peterson said as he flipped through the pages again. "We should be able to begin within the next month".

"I hope so, were eager to get this done as soon as possible. We'll be waiting for the paperwork, Mr. Peterson". Jim said as he shook the man's hand again.

"I aim to please". He said as both walked out the door. He sat back down and looked through the data again. "This is going to very profitable". He said as he looked at the unusual design more closely. "If not interesting". He finished as he buzzed in his secretary to begin the preparations.

* * *

Not far from home, Jim spoke up about something that had been on his mind.

"Have you finished watching all the episodes yet"?

"No, I have only one more to go". She said as she kept her gaze out the window.

"You're putting it off". He knew she could have watched it by now, but he was sure that she was hesitant to see how John reacted to her departure.

Cameron looked over at him with surprise in her eyes, she was amazed at how intuitive he was.

"Yes". But she offered no more, and Jim decided to change the subject to the next topic he had in mind.

"How long do you think all this is going to take"? Jim knew that building the bunker would take several months at least.

Her eyes became downcast as they turned back to their normal brown along with her hair.

"I estimate it will take 5 months to build the bunker, another three building and testing the TDE and the fusion reactor. Then we must modify it to make it capable of traveling across dimensions".

"8 months to build just the TDE, and who knows how long figuring out how to get home...".

She nodded sadly.

"Yes, those estimates are only if things go according to plan". Her voice was becoming more strained as the conversation continued.

"I'm sorry, I know what's like to miss someone you love, but you still have hope that death has robbed me of".

Cameron blinked back tears and turned back to him.

"Hope is all I have left". She fell silent and Jim patted her shoulder in a comforting manner as he pulled in the driveway.

When they got out of the truck, Jim had one more thing on his mind.

"I want to ask you something, something I've thought about since you reactivated".

She turned her head towards him, trying to anticipate his question.

"When the inter-dimensional TDE is finished and it's time for you to go home, I want to go with you".

Cameron tilted her head as her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Why"?

Jim opened the basement door, but answered her before he walked inside.

"Because there is nothing left here for me"...

* * *

Later that night, Jim talked Cameron into watching 'Born to Run'. Both he and John Henry knew that she needed to know what John did for her, and what challenges lay ahead for them if they were to save him.

He hooked the computer up to the flat screen in the living room and began the series finale episode.

As Cameron watched it, Jim and John Henry noticed her getting more and more tense as the episode went on, knowing how accurate the series had been thus far didn't help her already growing anxiety.

When they got to the part when Cameron had John cut open her chest for feel her power cell, she blushed slightly in embarrassment. Knowing that millions of people had a close up view of what she considered to be a private moment between her and John was not something she relished.

At least it wasn't really them at all.

Finally, Cameron watched as the HK crashed into the building and Weaver turned into a shield. Both John Henry and Jim noticing her body jump slightly as she saw how close John had gotten to being singed by the explosion.

However, that paled in comparison to when John jumped to the future for her.

As the episode ended, Cameron stood up and walked away. She didn't say a word and her face was emotionless, but both John Henry and Jim knew she was anything but okay.

Jim knew it was the shock setting in, he remembered it all to well. Worried about her, he stood up and followed her out the back door.

When he stepped outside and got a whiff of the air as the wind blew around him. It was dark, and the lack of stars and moon meant that it was overcast, but just the smell of the air screamed that a storm was brewing.

He walked off the back deck and into the darkened yard, his eyes sweeping the area for Cameron. The wind was too high to hear her foot steps, but he was fortunate enough to see her silhouette from a lightning flash in the distance.

She was standing in the field beyond the backyard fence like a statue and Jim began walking toward her. When the sky lit up once more she had fallen to her knees and he picked up the pace a little.

Jim jumped the fence and continued toward her. As he got closer he could see her brown hair whipping in the wind, but her body would not bow to the it.

Cameron was so tough, so strong, and yet the actions of one man could build her up higher than the tallest skyscraper or destroy her faster than dynamite.

When he reached her side he saw her head bowed and her hands limp at her side. She was utterly defeated in that moment and Jim couldn't help but be reminded of himself twelve months.

_"She shouldn't have to suffer like this". _He thought to himself, and the more he did, the more he wanted to help her.

When Jim reached her he knelt in front of John's distraught protector, but she did not acknowledge his presence.

"Cameron". Jim spoke softly to the upset cyborg, knowing it loud enough for her to hear. Cameron slowly lifted her head, her tear stained face was lit up by distant lightning.

"Why"? Her voice was so soft it was hard to hear above the wind and thunder. "Why did he do that? Why couldn't he do what was needed? Why would he risk humanity and abandon his mother for me, a machine"?

"Why"!? She cried out, desperately trying to . The storm answered her question another roar of lightning and a torrential downpour of rain.

As the drops began to fall on them, Jim locked eyes with her as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Because he's in love with you, completely and totally. Someone who didn't want to face the future war doesn't just jump into it for a protector or friend, they only do that for someone they care about more than themselves"! Jim yelled above the growing storm

"I shouldn't matter! He's the only one who does, I'm just a machine"!

"But that's where your wrong, what is John Connor without his army, his mother who trained him, or you who protected him and guided him, what is John Connor without those who made him the man he is"?

"He saves us all, he's the only one who can, all the people in the world are useless if he's dead or doesn't exist".

"Yes it was stupid to jump to the future, but think about it, maybe he's there to learn, to understand, and grow. Maybe this is how your John becomes the next General Connor".

"It's pointless if he dies! Machines aren't the only threat, other humans, disease, starvation, and radiation poisoning could all kill him. They killed humans all the time in the future, and he's just thrown himself into it"!

"Does it even matter to you that he cares that much for you? Do you even care that he loves you"? His voice filled with exasperation with each word he spoke.

She looked away, her lip quivering from the emotions.

"It does, you know that, but it wont matter if I can't save him".

Jim realized that it was pointless reasoning with her on this, the protector in her just wouldn't see his actions in any positive light.

John Connor was in danger, and she wasn't there to protect him. She couldn't protect the one she loved and there was the possibility that she wouldn't be able to.

Jim decided to do the only thing he could think of. He pulled Cameron into his arms and let her sob silently into into his shoulder, her breaths shaky as she tried to reign in the overwhelming emotions. As she fought the internal war, he wondered if he was helping or not, but he knew he wished someone had been there to comfort him when his family had died.

They stayed there like that for a few minutes as the rain pounded them until Cameron tamed the storm inside her.

"I didn't know how she felt". Cameron whispered as she lifted her head off of his shoulder. "Now I do".

It took Jim a second, but he figured out her meaning.

"Sarah, you know how she felt when she was in Pescadero". His answer as the slight nod of her head.

Not a second after he finished, another lightning bolt struck the ground, this one too close for Cameron's comfort.

"We need to go indoors, I'd prefer not getting struck by lightning".

Jim noticed her voice becoming more normal now.

"Feeling better"? He said as they stood up; she nodded as the began walking.

"Yes, thank you".

"You're welcome". Jim said as they walked in the basement door.

"I need to learn how to control my emotions, I can't let them compromise me in a critical situation". While she appeared calm on the outside now, in reality, she still had a storm buried inside her. Jim had helped her to an extent, why she didn't know, just that it did, but only John could wipe away the pain that she felt.

It was something that she would ponder until the early hours of the morning without any success.

* * *

Jim laid back in his bed, listening to the storm outside as he thought about the last few days, and what might lie ahead for him and the two AI's. He had a feeling that Cameron's initial timeline for completing the TDE wasn't going to be a problem, but modifying it, how long that would take was anyone's guess. There were too many if's and maybe's in this equation for everything to go smoothly, that he knew for sure.

* * *

**A/N: Well, did you think Cameron was too OOC? If so, remember that she is simply exhibiting emotions she's had for sometime now.**

**Same goes as last time, fifteen reviews and I post within twenty four hours of the 15th post. **

**-OZ**


	5. Pizza, Plans, and Plenty of Guns

**Disclaimer: I don't anything other than the OC.**

**A/N: Thanks for reviews people!**

**Chapter 5: Pizza, Plans, and Plenty of Guns**

**April 18, 2012 12 pm**

For all three people, cyborg and human, the week went by rather slowly, without much to do Cameron and Jim spent most of their time working on the farm or repairing any number of things.

By the time the week was up, Cameron had started to become a little impatient. Everyday she would listen for the mailman to arrive.

So when Cameron heard the mailman pull up, she was already halfway down the drive by the time Jim looked out the window.

She walked across the state highway to the mailbox, not really needing to look for traffic. She had previously calculated the average car per hour at 6.34 on weekdays.

She opened the mailbox and pulled out the stack of mail, some were bills or junk mail, all of which she ignored for the two large sealed manila envelopes at the back. Cameron closed the mailbox and walked back to the house with a small smile on her face.

The permits had come for building the bunker, and so had the contract and schedule.

Before she had even closed the door, Jim was already asking what came.

"What we've been waiting for". She said simply as she dumped the rest of the mail on him and tore open one of the envelopes.

John Henry emerged from his basement hideout, he too knowing the mail had come.

"Did it come today Cameron"?

"Yes, both the permits and the contract". She said in her typical flat tone as she began reviewing the permits. Jim tore into the one from Zanthum Construction Corp. He handed John Henry the contract to check over while he began looking over the plans and schedule.

Jim whistled as he scanned the projected project schedule.

"Man, they don't mess around. If I sign these today, they'll begin construction in two weeks".

"Good, the permits are all in order, John Henry, what about the contract"? Cameron asked the cyborg standing to her left.

"I see no legal issues with it, although the price is higher than what we expected".

"That's not an issue though". Cameron said before turning back to Jim. "Are you ready to sign them"?

"Yeah, I say we get this show on the road". He took a pen off the desk and signed the documents.

"We'll drop these off at the nearest FedEx box right after I eat, last pick up isn't until 5 pm anyway". Jim said as he put the documents back down on the kitchen table.

"You eat, I'll put papers and permits in the envelope. While were out we need to get boxes to pack up the things in the house, it needs to be empty while they modify the foundation". Cameron said as she straightened the papers that were going to be mailed.

"Yeah I figured as much, we also need to move the cattle to the fields closest to the barn. Then we'll take them to town and sell them so we wont have to worry about them".

Cameron's eyes widened in surprise, she was going to suggest that but figured he wouldn't be so willing.

"I thought you liked farming"?

"I do, but this is more important, we can't be worrying about the cattle when were working on this".

She cocked her head a bit, thinking about his reaction.

"You're committed to helping us no matter what". She said as she sat down next to him. "Aren't you"?

He turned his head and met her gaze.

"I am".

Cameron smiled at him, and it honestly surprised him, she rarely smiled anything more than a smirk, but here she was grinning at him.

"I'll make your lunch".

Jim's face scrunched in confusion.

"Why".

"Sometimes it's nice to have help".

Jim chuckled.

"Yeah, it is".

* * *

Two hours later...

Now that they were in public again Cameron was in her disguise once more with her curly blonde hair and blue eyes. They walked through the hardware store in Kirksville, the closest major town, picking up cardboard boxes, packing tape, and plenty of packing peanuts.

As Jim loaded up different sizes of boxes, Cameron decided they needed to talk about a rather urgent matter.

"Jim, we need to decided on where were going to live while the bunker is under construction, and where your belongings are going to go".

He turned back to her as he set down another stack of folded boxes on the cart.

"I already have a large storage unit rented here in town, we can use the cattle trailer to haul the boxes".

He paused as he pulled down one last stack.

"As for where were going to live, well, I still own my Aunt's house in Kansas City, haven't had the time to sell it yet".

"Is it maintained"?

"Yep, ready to move in right now, there's even enough basement space for John Henry to put all of his stuff in".

"He'll be pleased". She paused for a beat as she rechecked her surroundings. "You don't procrastinate as much as you say".

Jim just shrugged as they walked towards the checkout.

"And you're more human than you'll ever admit".

She looked a little taken back by what he said for a moment, but her slightly shocked look dissolved into a small upturn of her lips.

* * *

Later that evening after they got back, they filled John Henry in on their plan and he immediately agreed with it.

As they finished, Jim's stomach began to growl and decided that it was time for dinner. He went into the kitchen and pulled out a frozen pizza he'd been saving. He heated the oven up and put the pizza on a pan, as he turned to get a soda out of the fridge, an idea struck him.

"Hey Cameron"! He yelled as he grabbed the soda.

"Yes"? She said right behind him.

Jim nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Jeez girl, don't do that, I'd like not to die of a heart attack".

She gave him a blank look as she responded.

"Then you shouldn't eat so much greasy food".

He just rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I was going ask if wanted to watch a movie"?

"Why"? She cocked her head to the side, a little confused by the request. Jim simply flapped his jaw for a moment before he answered.

"I... well, it was something my family and I would do once a week. We'd sit down and watch a movie while we ate pizza and popcorn". Jim rubbed the back of his neck, not comfortable reminding himself of times past.

"You think of us as family"?

"Not really, we haven't known each other that long, but I consider you both friends. We'd invite those over too".

She looked for a second or two more before she let a small smile appear on her face.

"Yes, I'll watch a movie with you". She looked at the soda in his hands. "Only if you make me a soda too, lots of ice".

Jim was speechless as she walked away to go find John Henry and invite him, but after a second or two he let a genuine smile fill his face.

For the first time in over a year Jim Anderson didn't feel alone.

* * *

Twenty minutes later the pizza and popcorn were done as were the two drinks.

Jim walked into the living room to find John Henry sitting in one of the two recliners and Cameron searching through his movie library on his computer.

"Did that deal include you picking out the movie"? He said with a mock sarcastic voice.

She simply looked at him and deadpanned a yes. He rolled his eyes and sat down in the other recliner.

"Did you choose something yet"? He asked as he bit his first piece out of meat lovers pizza.

"What's Firefly? It has the actress who played me in it". She said as she turned around and looked at Jim. He just choked back a laugh.

"Basically space cowboys, just play it".

Cameron turned back around and hit the enter key. She sat on the floor to the left of Jim as he handed her the soda. She accepted it without a word, already too engrossed in the show to devote the necessary processing power to say thanks.

During the whole pilot episode he just watched the two machines reactions as the story progressed. They didn't move much, they were like little children mesmerized by Sesame Street.

After it was over, Cameron moved to start the next episode but was stopped by Jim.

"Let's wait til next week".

"You want to continue this tradition of yours"? She asked him after deducing his reasoning.

"Yeah, one episode per week, there are only 13 all together plus the movie".

"I'd like that" She turned away from him and towards John Henry. "Would you mind"?

The Skynet-like AI thought about it for a second before answering.

"No, however, I would prefer if we had a better audio system".

Jim almost fell over in surprise, since when did machine care about such things?

John Henry noticed his reaction and answered the unspoken question.

"The TV's speaker quality is low, it's distracting to filter out distortion when I'm trying to analyze all the different sounds".

Jim chuckled a bit before telling him to pick one out and have it shipped to his aunt's house.

Just as he left the bathroom after his shower, he found Cameron waiting for her turn.

"You know, there's a lot more to you two than I thought, you keep on surprising me".

"Now you know why we ask so many questions about humans". She said simply as she walked in and shut the door.

Cameron was right, both races had their quirks that fascinated the other immensely. It amazed him how intricate their personalities were, not to mention how diverse.

He could honestly say that these two were the most interesting people he had ever met.

As he climbed into bed, he wondered what Weaver, or even Sarah Connor were like for real...

* * *

The next few days were a blur for Jim. The three of them had gotten to work the next morning packing up the contents of the house and making trips to the storage locker. Jim also had to take care of the cattle, which Cameron and John Henry helped him with to speed things along.

Three days after contract had come in the mail they had the house completely packed up save for the bare essentials for Jim. He had an air mattress, a few sets of clothes, some disposable utensils and plenty of microwavable food that stayed in a mini-fridge.

Most of his personal belongings had been put into storage, but the tools and workbenches were at the house in KC as were all the computers.

His aunt's old house had everything needed to live in it, the only things that had to be moved in were his clothes, and some of the belongings in his room and his toiletries. What little Cameron owned, not to mention John Henry, was easily moved in a single box.

The house was located on the Kansas side of Kansas City, but since this wasn't his permanent address, he didn't have to change his license plates, nor his driver's licence itself. The three trucks had been moved as well, leaving the smaller farm truck, a green 1997 4WD Chevy S-10 LS, in the tractor shed back on the farm. The Ram was left with John Henry in Kansas City while he set up his basement lab. Jim and Cameron took the burgundy Chevy Silverado 2500 flat-bed back to the farm so they could begin hauling the cattle off to the sale barn.

Herding the cattle, especially the ones with calves, was proving to very interesting for Cameron.

Which is the situation that she and Jim now found themselves in.

"Bovine aren't very smart". She says in her traditional flat tone, but Jim knew by the look on her face that she was frustrated.

As usual, some of the Angus cattle did not like being herded, and when you tried to drive them to the gate, they tried going the opposite direction.

"Yeah, they're a bit crazy, it's all part of the fun though". He cracked as he gently slapped a cow with a cattle prod, and the it took off, kicking dirt on Cameron.

"I don't see how this is fun". Her face had gotten more annoyed now that dirt was in her immaculate hair.

"That was joke silly".

"Oh".

He laughed a little as they drove the last of the heifers into the sorting lot.

"Alright, grab that tagging gun out of the truck, I'll get the tags and paint pen out barn".

"Got it". She said as she pulled it out of her back pocket and handed it to him.

They retagged a few before they but some into the trailer and took them away. It took them three days to get all the cattle moved into the sale barn lots, and then they spent two days at the auction selling all of them.

When they were finished, Cameron picked up the check from the sale barn and looked over the total.

It was over 100,000 dollars, not a large amount considering how much they were going to spend on TDE and the fusion reactor, but it would still be nice to have just in case.

What little was left in house they packed up before they hit the road and went to Kansas City. Not long before they reached the city did Cameron decided she wanted to strike up conversation.

"We made more money than I predicted".

Jim nodded his head. "How much more"?

"$18,296.23 more than I predicted, I think it was because one of the farmers who had a herd that got killed when the river flooded".

"Yeah, Simmons was telling me about that while I was at the gas station a few days ago, I guess that's where you heard it"?

"Yes, I was still in the truck". He gave her a questioning look. "This body has exceptional hearing".

He nodded in acceptance before changing the subject.

"People in town have asked about you and John Henry".

"That's generally what happens in small towns, people get nosy". She turned her head to face him once more as they continued driving down the road.

"Yeah, but they look out for one another, and that's something you rarely find in the city. But your right, we can't have people getting too curious about you and John Henry. We'll have to come up with a cover story". Jim said as he met her gaze for a second before flicking his head back to the road.

Cameron seemed to think the idea over for a second as her head tilted a few degrees to the right.

"We could be distant cousins on your father's side, John Henry could create the paper work and put it in the system".

Jim thought it was feasible, after all the house he was living in was his maternal grandparents house. His father's side of the family came from a different part of the country.

"How do we explain the bunker"?

"I don't know, humans are better at lying than we are". Her wistful tone made Jim think she found that curious. He responded with an agreeing snort, but as he thought the situation over, they would have a lot of tools, a ton of computer equipment, and special CNC machines plus a small foundry.

"We could say were in a competition that competes in building rail gun, so if anyone looks close enough, the incoming materials will be similar enough to what they use to make them".

Cameron picked up on his train of thought and finished for him.

"Yes, we could say you were the only relative that had enough land. We built the bunker to protect the expensive equipment from a severe storm".

"Well, we won't have to use it for a while yet, but I think it'll work". Jim said as he turned off the highway.

"We'll see". She said before they fell back into silence.

A few minutes later Cameron checked her mental list of things she needed to do, crossing off those that were accomplished while reviewing those that were on hold or needed to be accomplished.

One that was needed to be brought up concerned Jim's request from days before.

"Jim".

"Huh"? He said without taking his eyes off the road.

"We need to talk about your request".

Jim knew from her serious tone what request she was talking about.

"Yeah, we do. You said you'd think about it".

"I did". She paused, trying to gauge the change in his emotions as the conversation continued. "Have you changed your mind"?

"No". He said as he met her gaze once more. His eyes conveyed his seriousness to the cyborg.

"I still don't understand your decision, but I talked to John Henry, and we agreed to grant your request".

His tense features relaxed when she said that.

"There are things you need to learn before we leave. It will be very hard for you after we jump. The post Judgement Day environment has little food and clean water is virtually nonexistent".

"What training do you think I'll need"?

Cameron tilted her head as she compiled a list.

"I know that you suffer from sports induced asthma, we need to work on your lung capacity or you wont be able to run long distances".

He nodded in understanding as she continued.

"I need to train you in hand to hand combat tactics, not all humans will be friendly. Then I will train you in machine combat tactics, how to evade them, fight them, and kill them. You need to know how we think, what our habits are like, and how to exploit our weaknesses. Then I will train you will all kinds of weapons pistols, shotguns, rifles, automatic weapons, and grenades".

He didn't seem overwhelmed by the challenges she laid before him, he only nodded without saying a word.

"Lastly, you will need to how to survive in our future, your need to harden your body against starvation and disease. We will have to get your body used to unpurified water".

Cameron's gaze never left his face, monitoring to see if he would give up on what she thought was a foolish decision, but alas his face remained serious and unperturbed by it all. She figured that the emotional pain he'd been through did not compare to any physical hurt she could dole out on him.

He was as stubborn and determined as Sarah Connor, but his mind was more open than hers. This was why she liked him, both her and John Henry had developed a fondness for him, a little stronger than what she had for Eric, or John Henry with Mr. Murch.

Only this was different, Jim knew more about them than Eric and Ellison combined.

"I'll do it". Jim said, breaking Cameron out of her thoughts.

"We'll start tomorrow, 5 am".

With that she turned her head back toward the windshield and they spent the last few minutes of the trip in silence. Jim spent those minutes thinking about how quickly his life had changed in such a short amount of time, but this time around, it was a change that he welcomed...

* * *

**April 25, 2012, 5 am**

Cameron pulled into driveway after doing a little errand she needed to run. She almost didn't get back in time to start Jim's training.

She went inside the two-story house and looked around for Jim, but there was no sign of him.

Maybe he was in the basement with John Henry, or maybe he was somewhere else, somewhere he better not be.

When she entered the master suite, her eyes burned purple...

There was Jim, still sleeping, his alarm clock next to him blaring.

Cameron was not happy.

Jim's peaceful dreams of a perfect life quickly gave way to a harsh reality when he suddenly found himself drenched in cold water.

"Get up James, It's 5:03"!

He jumped as water continued to roll off of him, but he was still moving too slowly for Cameron's taste.

"GET UP, If this was a Skynet attack you'd be dead already"!

Cameron wasn't messing around when she grabbed him by the neck and dragged him out of his bed into the adjacent master bathroom.

She casually tossed him into the shower and turned the handle to cold and closed the door.

"OKAY OKAY, I'm awake"! Jim yelled as he flailed around on the shower floor. Cameron, however, made no move to help him.

When he finally turned off the water and opened the door, Cameron was already throwing him a towel and running clothes at him.

"You've got 30 seconds to get dried off and dressed before I put you back in that shower".

Jim could tell that she was dead serious about that threat and he wasted no time in making use of the towel and dry clothes.

When he was done Jim looked back at Cameron standing in the doorway.

"29 seconds, you have to do better". The cyborg said as she gave him a look that reminded him of the one she gave John after she found lipstick on his neck.

It was one of disappointment.

"I will, I'm sorry".

She didn't answer him, but instead she dragged him out of the master suite and into the hallway.

"Get your shoes on, we're jogging a mile this morning".

"What about breakfast"?

She turned back to him with that look once more and walked outside.

Jim groaned a bit, but sucked it up, he'd live, he'd gone without breakfast before.

He followed her out the door and ran after her.

Twenty minutes later Jim felt like his lungs and throat were on fire. He was wheezing and coughing like crazy when they finally finished the mile. When they walked in the house Jim collapsed on the foyer floor coughing still. Cameron finally took pity on the man and helped him over to the couch.

While he sat there catching his breath she got him a glass of water and handed it to him.

After he chugged the whole thing he set the glass down and let out a long contented sigh.

"Thanks".

"Your welcome".

Cameron walked out of the room and into the kitchen. Jim turned on the TV and began watching the morning news.

"...early this morning a local weapons dealer was robbed. The thief took several automatic weapons and combat shotguns along with several other types of weapons. The police are asking for tips so they can hopefully identify the thief caught on surveillance. As you can see, the thief wore a heavy disguise, and the police aren't even sure if the suspect is male or female. If anyone has any information as to who did this, please..."

Jim turned off the TV as he thought for a second.

That coat the thief was wearing... he recognized that coat, it was HIS!

"CAMERON"! Jim yelled as he got off the couch, but as soon as he did he heard the sound of a weapon having a round chambered.

"Yes"? She said with an innocent tone.

When he turned around his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Cameron wielding a M-16.

"Figures..." He said while rolling his eyes. "Get bored last night"?

"Yes, I don't sleep".

"And with no Terminators to hunt and no John to protect, what is a Cameron to do"? He said sarcastically as he crossed his arms.

"True, but you know that some of the weapons we used aren't legal to own".

"I know that, but you could have at least told me what you were planning".

"And you could have gotten up on time". She countered as she glared at him. They stayed there staring at one another for a moment before Jim conceded and let out a sigh.

"Look, I'm not John, I'm not Derek, and I'm not Sarah Connor. I know you do things because you think they're necessary. You don't need to lie to me, or keep your activities from me. It's better if we don't and you know that. As for me not getting up, it won't happen again".

She placed the weapon on the kitchen table and looked back at him, she felt something akin to shame for letting him down, and she didn't know why. What she did know is that he's placing his complete trust in her, and now he's asking the same in return.

"If it does, I'll place your head on a pike for all to see".

His eyes widen briefly before he picked up on her wicked sense of humor.

"You almost fooled me". Jim said as he pointed a finger at the cyborg. Cameron scrunched her nose a little in disappointment, she had always liked fooling humans that way, even before the explosion.

"It would have worked on Derek".

Cameron took the rather large assortment of weapons to the basement while Jim ate some much needed breakfast, but instead of cereal and coffee he had an egg with fresh fruit and a bowl of oatmeal. To top it all off he had fresh orange juice to go with it. After he was done eating he went down to the basement to find out what the two terminators were up to.

When he got down there, he found John Henry working in front on a 3D rendering of something on the server computer. Cameron was breaking down various weapons and cleaning them.

"Good, your here". Cameron said to him as she glanced over in his direction. "We need to start your weapon's training".

"Alright, I'm guessing you want me to learn how they work first"?

"Yes, and how to maintain them. We wont actually practice with them until later".

"Awesome". Jim sat down at the table and picked up a Desert Eagle, but just before Cameron began, Jim asked John Henry a question.

"What are you working on John Henry"?

The cyborg responded without looking over at him.

"I'm finishing the fusion reactor design, I plan to order what parts we can't make as soon as possible".

"Cool, when do you think that will be"?

"Not for a few weeks, but we can't have these parts shipped, we will have to pick them up ourselves if we want to avoid unnecessary attention".

Jim looked confused so Cameron explained.

"Deuterium and tritium are the fuel sources we'll need, tritium is slightly radioactive and rare, we don't want to get on the government's radar".

"I see, so we'll be taking a road trip". He said as he picked up the DE once more. "So what did you want to teach me about pistols"?

Jim said as he switched back to training.

"I saw how you cleaned your Remington, it was insufficient".

"Okay Master Chief, teach me something". Jim challenged as he popped the slide off of the DE, and to his surprise Cameron smiled,

She had gotten the joke.

"I will".

* * *

**A/N: A bit more of a humorous chapter after the last few and it gets the ball rolling. **

**Expect the next several to be similar.**


	6. Deal or No Deal

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing but the OC.**

**Thanks for the reviews everyone**

**Chapter 6: Deal or no Deal**

**Two weeks later, May 10, 2012**

Cameron and Jim were running around the neighborhood, as the did every morning now. Cameron was in her usual disguise as to not draw too much attention to herself.

Despite her efforts, she still got a lot of looks from people, but Jim assured her that they thought she looked hot in running clothes.

Even though she wasn't happy with the attention, she was pleased with Jim's progress. With the intense training, his asthma symptoms lessened and he was able to run further each day. He was now able to run a 10 minute mile without collapsing to the ground from exhaustion.

However, Jim knew he had a long way to go in that area, but his weapons training was going much better. He was good with machines and mechanics so learning the in's and outs of all the guns Cameron had stolen wasn't hard. They had actually gone to the range and fired the ones that were legal.

Cameron instructed him how to properly hold and fire the different weapons, and Jim had made steady improvement in the past fourteen days with the different pistols, shotguns, and rifles. However, there was still the sniper rifle and the automatics that he needed to learn how to properly use, but for that they would need to finds somewhere very remote to fire them. Even on the farm there were still too many people around to fire automatic weapons without someone noticing.

Speaking of the farm, ground had been broken on the bunker last week and had been going according to plan so far.

John Henry had finalized the designs for the new reactor, and both Cameron and Jim were impressed with it. The output had been boosted to 2.15 Gigawatts while keeping the size the same.

Now that he had the designs finalized he was able to order the parts that could be shipped, while the others he had to get through less scrupulous means such as the black market. With a little help from Cameron, the cyborg duo had been able to order what they needed and set up the exchange.

The only issue was that the exchange was in California since the fuel needed to be shipped in from overseas and the business men didn't want to take more risk than they wanted.

Or so they had said, Cameron had been suspicious about their explanation. Perhaps they wanted them to come their turf and just take their money while disposing of them. Well that wasn't going to happen, not with her around.

When they walked in the house after the run, John Henry had already made breakfast for Jim and was sitting at the table with an few sheets of paper in front of him.

"Jim, Cameron, good morning".

"Good morning John Henry". Jim said as he sat down at the table. "Thanks for the food, what's the occasion"?

"You two need to leave for L.A. as soon as possible. The organization who's supplying us with the fuel contacted me an hour ago and gave me the necessary details about exchange". John Henry explained as he gave Cameron the documents.

She looked through them for a moment before she responded. Jim just continued to eat food, knowing he'd get filled in later.

"What about you John Henry"? She asked as she took a seat across from the cyborg.

"I'm going to stay here and wait for the other parts to arrive. Then I'm going to buy the CNC machines".

"Where are you going to put them"? Jim asked with a confused look on his face.

"I'm going to have it on delayed delivery, it will arrive when we want it to".

"Makes sense". Jim said as he dived back into his food and Cameron agreed.

"We'll leave as soon as we get packed". Cameron said as she stood up from the table and headed up to her room. Jim followed a few minutes later after finishing his breakfast.

* * *

Half an hour later and the duo was ready to go. Cameron had packed a twelve gauge Remington pump action with an 8 shell capacity along with the Desert Eagle and a Glock 17. She had also packed the Barrett M82A1 and the M16 so Jim could practice out in the desert, but she had taken care to hide the weapons out of sight just in case they were pulled over. California didn't allow civilians to own the Barrett, much less the M16.

They left the house at 7:00 am and head out west to meet their contacts in LA. About three hours into it, Jim suddenly remembered something he had totally forgotten about since Cameron had been reactivated.

"Hey, since were going to be out in the middle of nowhere shooting illegal guns, do you think it would be good time to test those flying skills of yours"? Jim said as he briefly turned his head toward her.

Cameron broke herself out of a memory when she detected that Jim was talking to her.

"What"?

"You were zoning out again". He said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, we haven't spoken in almost two hours, I was examining more of my Allison memories".

"Oh, yeah that would do it". Jim said as he turned back to the road. "I asked if you were going to test out your flying abilities while were out in the desert".

She tilted her head for a moment while she pondered the question and she realized that it was something she had planned on doing eventually, but hadn't seen any immediate need for it.

"I will, thank you for suggesting it". Her tone held the slightest bit of excitement at the prospect and a small quirk adorned her lips.

Jim smiled in return, he couldn't wait to see how this turned out.

A flying Terminator... who'd a thought it!

A few seconds later she rolled down her window and laid her seat back as she stuck one of her bare feet out the window.

Jim watched in fascination as she wiggled her toes in the 75 mph wind. He turned back to the road chuckling to himself as Cameron tried to get away from it all... again.

Only this time she seemed to be having more success.

Jim jerked his head over in surprise when he heard a soft giggle coming from the passenger seat. He almost couldn't believe what his eyes saw; there was Cameron, a cyborg built to kill people, laughing as she felt the wind blow through her toes.

"I can feel" She said to no one in particular. "He was wrong, I can feel, I can feel everything".

A smile crept over his face once more at seeing the machine finding her full potential, well getting there anyway.

"If you really want to get away from it all, stop all simulations and tasks and just concentrate on the rhythm of the music and the wind blowing through your toes".

She looked at him curiously for a moment before doing just that. Jim turned up the radio a little and observed her reaction.

After a few minutes, Cameron seemed to enjoy 'getting away from it all', and he was glad the busy cyborg got a chance to relax as much as she could while she didn't have John or Skynet to worry about.

He left her in peace and continued driving to California, enjoying the break from training and getting a chance to relax on a long drive with the windows down.

* * *

**21 hours later, L.A. California **

Cameron had switched with Jim about half way there and let him sleep the rest of the way. It had taken them a whole day to reach L.A. but they were still twelve hours early for the meeting.

They had rented a motel room off of interstate 5 so they could store there clothing and the extra weapons. Cameron suggested that they not use their own truck, lest it be traced back to them.

"Were not stealing one".

"Its the best way". She argued with her arms crossed.

"We need to stay off the radar as much as possible, stealing trucks is not the best way to do that. We could rent a truck".

Cameron tilted her head as she thought it over.

"Maybe, but if the rental has a GPS tracker, we need to reprogram it and remove the license plates so they can't trace us through the company".

Jim nodded in agreement.

"We should also remove the rental company sticker on the back, throw them off even more". He added as he finished loading the Desert Eagle with 50 caliber rounds.

Cameron loaded the last shell into the shotgun and flipped the safety on.

"Effective, but we'd have to put it back on to avoid extra fines".

"Not a problem, now, I'm guessing you need to change your appearance, after all she lives around here".

"Yes, It would not bode well for her if they recognized me". She said in her typical flat tone, but her face gave a hint of concern for the actress.

Jim nodded again in agreement and pulled something out of his duffle. Cameron tilted her head when she saw two ski masks in his hand.

"I was going to suggest buying those, our buyers requested total disguise".

"I know, but I kept these in here just in case I broke down in cold weather". He paused as he handed her one. "You know, if these fools try anything they're gonna lose a lot more than their money". He jested as he turned back to his duffle.

Cameron's barely detectable smirk spoke volumes about how true she knew that was. Nothing on earth short of bunker busting munitions could touch her. The smirk disappeared as she thought about the possibilities of a fire fight.

"You're not ready for a fight, there's no need to risk yourself".

"I know that". His tone indicated he didn't like being thought of as too stupid to not know his limits. "However, don't think for a second that I'm gonna sit this out girl, cause you got another thing coming to you".

"I know, you like pulling your own weight. You drive the truck, I'll make the exchange".

"Deal".

They packed up their weapons and left to get the rental. They parked the Ram a few blocks away from the rental agency in a parking garage. They walked to the place and rented a small white truck. Cameron used her nano-technological transjectors, or NTJs to hack the GPS module and programmed it to send fake data. She also replaced the plates with fake ones she made herself.

Cameron directed Jim to the warehouse where the exchange was taking place, which was at the Port of Los Angeles and Jim hated driving through the ridiculous LA traffic. He made his opinion of it known too often for Cameron's taste.

After about the tenth time she was experiencing what she assumed to be her equivalent of irritation, and like Riley, she wanted it gone.

"You have made your opinion of this city's traffic known to me ten times, please shut up".

And the shocked Jim did exactly that, but more out of surprise than because she said so.

"Turn left at the next light". She said just a second later as she pulled her mask over her blonde hair. When the light turned red Jim did the same and placed the DE next to himself.

"Here we go". He said mostly to himself as swung the truck down the alley and drove it into the warehouse.

She pulled back the slide on her Glock in confirmation as Jim stopped the truck. She got out and knocked on the side door.

Someone with a Russian accent spoke through door.

"Who is it"?

"The buyers, that's who". Cameron said in a voice that sounded a lot like the original Cromartie. She had covered her figure so well it was hard to tell if she was a short man or a normal sized woman.

"Good, you vore disquise".

"Were not stupid".

"I hovpe not". The man said as he opened the door. He was tall and broad shouldered, obviously a man, and towered over Cameron by a foot. He held an AK-47 across his chest, safety off.

Cameron's Glock was resting in her right had, but she didn't make any threatening moves.

"Do you have what we asked for"?

"Yes, do you 'ave ze money"? He asked back, his voice just as toneless as hers.

"Yes, in the truck".

The man yelled at someone else in the building in his native tongue and the truck entrance opened with a loud squeak. Jim pulled in the truck and put it in park, but didn't turn it off. Cameron walked in behind and walked toward the man standing next to the two containers, one containing one kilogram of deuterium and the other containing the same amount of tritium. She put away her weapon to show she wasn't going to cause trouble and they extended the courtesy of not pointing their weapons at her.

"Let me see the packages to verify it's what we agreed on".

"Ov course". The lead Russian said in his heavy accent as he unlocked the two small white cubes. Cameron looked inside and let her optics scan the substances contained in the pressurized containers. They were genuine as far as her advanced scanners could tell.

"I don't know how you can tell vhether it's genuine vor not jist by looking at it".

"I just do, and it seems your reputation holds up". Cameron says in her disguised voice as she moved to get the money out of the truck.

"I like honest buyers". The man said as Cameron opened the large case of money. One of the big man's lackeys put on some glasses and went through it. After a few minutes the man turned to his boss and gave a simple nod in confirmation.

"Good, now I don't have to shoot you, some people underestimate us and try to negotiate. I don't negotiate once ve meet". The boss said as he crossed his arms.

"I understand, I don't like it when people change the plan. It... irritates me, and those people usually end up regretting it". Her male tone was still flat, but it carried that hint of dead seriousness.

The Russian's chest rumbled in deep laugh.

"I like you, maybe we do business in za future"?

"It's possible". She said as she signaled to Jim to help her move the containers to avoid unnecessary attention. He hopped out of the truck and they put the containers in the back of the small rental truck. The Russians were already packed up and moving out when they were getting back in the truck. Cameron told Jim to wait until they left and then they headed out in the opposite direction. After a few miles they took off their masks and Cameron put the weapons out of site.

"That went a lot better than I thought it would". Jim said as he let out a long sigh.

"Yes, it did, but most of our illegal exchanges went smoothly, I learned a lot from Sarah".

"Oh, well I'm glad you did. Anyway, do you think that's enough deuterium and tritium to start the reactor? Tritium's very rare and where 98% of that cash went".

"Yes, three times as much. Once the reactor is started it will produce it's own fuel".

"Just like yours".

"Yes, now we need to get the Ram. I was surprised that they put the fuel in small containers, normally humans get paranoid when it comes to radioactive material".

Jim nodded in agreement, but he knew that Tritium was only slightly radioactive, it's radiation not even able to penetrate the outermost layer of skin. Deuterium was common in the ocean and was not radioactive.

"I guess they did their homework". Jim said as he shrugged; Cameron simply nodded once and turned her attention out the window, her thoughts drifting towards John as they were now one step closer to getting home.

* * *

After they had picked up the Ram and transferred their cargo, the duo picked up the stuff from the hotel and headed out towards the Nevada Desert. Seven hours later they arrived at a remote location in the middle of the desert, miles away from any residence or highway. Cameron was pleased that this location was exactly the same as the one in her universe.

She brought out the M82A1 and showed him how to handle the weapon, how to carry it, and if needed, run with it. Though the weapon weighed nearly 31 pounds empty, he had to be able to run at least short distances with the weapon.

With the training Jim had been going through, he was able to do short distance sprints with the gun, but beyond that was something he just couldn't do. Jim was a pretty good shot with the weapon when there wasn't wind, but he lacked the skill to incorporate wind speed properly. Though he improved over the thirty rounds he fired, it wasn't enough for Cameron to ever recommend him for the position in a squad.

Despite his failings with the Barrett, he was exceptional with the M16, hitting most of his targets on the first clip and steadily improved with each progressing clip. By the time he shot his 5th and last clip he was hitting 92% of his targets at a distance of 85 ft.

When he was finished Jim took out the earplugs. He walked back over to the fold up table they had put out and began taking the weapon apart. Cameron looked up from cleaning the Barrett as she decided to comment on his performance.

"You did well, not even Derek could shoot that well with an automatic".

"Thanks, but you and I both know I can't shoot a pistol to save my life". He said with a chuckle as he pulled part of the firing mechanism out of the weapon.

"Your improving quickly, however, your physical endurance is still below what it needs to be".

"I know" He said almost absentmindedly as he continued cleaning the M16. When he finished cleaning the barrel he set the part down and looked back over at Cameron as something came to mind.

"Speaking of learning new tricks..." Jim lead on hoping she'd know what he was getting at.

"Yes, I need to test my flying abilities". She snapped the scope back on the sniper rifle and reached for another piece. "One moment".

Jim nodded and continued cleaning the assault rifle. Cameron got up while he was reassembling and put the M82A1 in the truck. While Jim was still busy with the M16, Cameron deactivated her sheath and removed her clothing.

She knew that she could not wear any clothes while flying. The RCS thrusters across her body were hidden by seamless armor panels that popped out when flight mode was engaged and thus why clothing wasn't an option. There were also booster thrusters beneath the shoulder blades and the front side of the breast plate. The breast plate boosters were revealed when two large pop panels hinged out where her breasts would be. The main thrusters were located in the hands and feet.

The mains were jet style thrusters in which the plasma super heated the air like a ram jet. The RCS and booster thrusters ran on plasma straight from reactor.

New fuel was taken in from intake vents on the front and back of the shoulders and converted into tritium and deuterium and fed into the reactor. This ensured that she wouldn't run out of fuel, however, if she ran too fast for too long she'd burn out the reactor core and shut down.

Jim inserted the clip into the M16 and checked the loading mechanism. When he looked back up he stepped back in surprise. He regained his cool quickly and set his weapon down.

"Wow, you look... awesome". He had never seen her endo active and moving around, and the purple glowing dark chrome machine was a sight to behold.

"Thank you"? She made it sound like a question.

"Ready to go"? Jim asked without recognizing her confusion.

"Yes, but I must warn you, I don't know how to fly, I know how to operate the parts, but I wasn't programmed to fly".

Jim became completely serious when she said that. He knew this could end badly if she made a miscalculation.

"Be careful". He said with concern.

"I will".

She walked about thirty meters away from both Jim and the truck and started the power up sequence. The RCS thrusters popped out on various points of her body and armor plates surrounding the plasma jets on her hands and feet receded. Plasma flowed to the main thrusters and rushed out the injectors at high velocity, throwing up sand and dust in all directions.

Cameron realized pretty quickly she wasn't going anywhere fast at this level of power and increased the plasma flow by 10 percent.

The result surprised her as she shot off the ground. The sudden change caused her to lose control rather quickly. She nearly hit the truck and Jim, but managed to get back under control before she roasted both with super heated plasma. She fired RCSs and bent her arms and legs to change her direction upward toward the sky. Cameron's phenomenal learning ability quickly began to understand how this body worked under flight conditions and soon she was flying it like she had been born for it.

Jim watched from below with admiration and a little jealously as she flew in figure eights, dove down close to the ground and straight up to the sky.

Cameron decided to push this body to its limits and activated the booster thrusters, pushing her velocity up as she approached the speed of sound. However she dared not break the barrier lest she attract unwanted attention. Despite that limitation she was steadily climbing past one mile, then two, three, four, five, six, seven, and then eight miles up.

Just before she reached nine miles, she stopped and hovered to take in the sight around her.

The view she had from up here was incredible, she could see for hundreds of miles with her advanced optics.

As Cameron hovered 47,000 feet in the air, she decided that she liked flying, a lot.

After about ten minutes of hovering she came back down and stopped about ten feet off the ground before cutting the power. She rose up from her crouched position and walked over to Jim who was clapping.

"I'm not bowing".

Jim gave her a look of mock hurt as he handed her the clothes she had been wearing. She disappeared in the truck and emerged a few minutes later as her old self.

By that time, Jim had already packed up the table and the weapons. Cameron promptly got back in the driver's seat and he into the passenger's.

As they pulled away Jim asked the question that had been burning a hole in his mind ever since she landed.

"What was like"? His excitement was barely contained."Flying through sky like Iron Man"?

She turned her head toward him, a half smile adorning her face.

"It was... awesome". She tilted her head at her own description of the experience. "Yes, it was totally awesome".

Jim couldn't help but smile, Cameron really seemed to have enjoyed flying. He was glad that she could find something to enjoy while trapped in a universe without John.

"Good, now lets go home. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed"!

"You wont have a bed where were going". She deadpanned.

"Oh... right".

Jim knew he still had a long way to go before he was ready...

* * *

**A/N: A flying Cameron, that's never been done before. Eat your heart out Iron Man...**

**Okay, next chapter will be out in 3 days, or there's a ton of reviews.**

**Its entirely up to you readers.**


	7. Who is Worthy

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**Chapter 7: Who Is Worthy?**

**July 11, 2012 4 am, Kansas City, Kansas **

Jim woke up suddenly in the middle of the night in a coughing fit. He rushed into the bathroom when the coughing turned to gagging so he wouldn't throw up on the bed.

When he was done retching, he washed his mouth with some water and spit it out in the sink.

He flipped on the light to the bathroom and quickly shut his eyes as the harsh light flooded his retinas. After his irises adjusted to the light, he took a good look at himself in the mirror. He was pale and his eyes had huge bags under them. The wheeze he felt in his chest was not normal and told him that he was sick. Also his stomach wasn't happy and his head hurt.

Jim knew he had been pushing the envelope during his training lately and now it had taken a toll on his body. Cameron had warned him that this might happen despite it being in the middle of summer, but he insisted that he learn as much as he could. He continued his endurance training and had begun martial arts training a month prior. She had been teaching him the style that General John Connor had taught his soldiers.

Jim had struggled with it, but kept on trying. He wasn't the most flexible person in the world which hindered him, but his sight was 20/20 and his hearing was perfect. However his lack of endurance was still biting him in rear and he was sick and tired of it, hence why he kept pushing himself to overcome this the handicap.

Now he wished he had listened to her, but instead he was sick with some respiratory bug and that would put him behind in his training.

He grumbled to himself as he rolled his eyes, he hated being sick. Jim managed to drag himself into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of ginger ale to settle his stomach.

He sat down at the kitchen table and rested his head in his hands as tried to ignore the increasing pain coming from his chest.

Jim figured at this point he needed to see a doctor, but since neither John Henry nor Cameron were home at the moment, he was on his own... without a car.

He cursed himself for getting him into this situation. He should have insisted on bringing the other truck, but they thought it was unnecessary.

Now he remembered why Sarah Connor didn't always rely on machine logic in every situation. He noted to challenge them a little more often in the future just before he began coughing again. When he finally stopped nearly five minutes later. When he finally did he was on the floor panting and wheezing, desperately trying to catch his breath.

He grabbed the home phone and dialed 911.

As the tone was dialing, he was fighting to stay conscious, his breathing becoming more and more labored as time went on.

When the operator picked up, he was barely able to answer.

"_911, what's your emergency"? _

"I need an ambulance at this location... for me... can't... breathe...".

That was the last thing he said before he passed out.

_"Sir? Sir?, I'm sending an ambulance to your location"._

* * *

John Henry had been busy for the last few days collecting and storing various raw materials that he was going to use for both the TDE and the fusion reactor. He was also building subspace sensors based on the designs stored in the TX Mk. 2 chip. Skynet had used them to perfect the TDE technology and now he had modified the design to detect a wider range of spacial anomalies and had increased their definition. To complete his research, these were going to be critical in mapping the inter-dimensional tunnel and figuring out how to send a TDE signal through it to their Earth.

He was on his way back to the house in the Chevy, he was hauling a few containers of the materials he could build a test model.

When he about to pull up to the house, he saw an ambulance and a few cop cars in front the house. Instantly on alert, he turned around and left. He couldn't be interviewed by cops for any reason due to the way he looked at the moment. He may have changed his hair color and grown a beard, but it still wasn't enough to fully guarantee anonymity. Besides, what ever had happened was over and the ambulance was leaving with it sirens on.

John Henry dug around in the truck and found an old hat and coat. Even though it was July it still got a little chilly on clear nights and he needed a disguise. Once he put them on he got out of the truck and changed his voice to one much deeper than he normally used. He walked up to the officers who were securing the door they had to break through. He stopped on the sidewalk in front of the house and called out to the officers.

"What happened officers"?

The cop turned from his buddy and addressed the man.

"The homeowner called 911, couldn't breathe. We had to break down the door to get to him".

That concerned John Henry, he knew that Jim had asthma issues he was trying to get past, but he hadn't known it was this bad.

"I'm sorry to hear that, is he alright"?

The cop shrugged.

"The pumped him full of drugs to open his airways, they say he'll be alright in a few days".

If John Henry were human he would have let out a sigh of relief, he didn't want any harm to come to the young man.

"That's good to know, thank you officers".

"No problem, have nice morning sir". The cops turned back to their work and John Henry went back the Chevy and drove off.

As he headed to the nearest hospital, he called Cameron on his cell.

* * *

**Meanwhile at the farm... **

Cameron had been at the farm for a day checking on the construction progress, and so far everything was on schedule and to spec. The contractor had not taken any short cuts whatsoever.

So far the hole for the entire bunker had been dug and the gravel foundation laid. New power lines were being laid underground instead of above ground and high speed fiber optic was being routed directly into the house and bunker. Water and sewer lines had to be diverted and thus most of the front yard had been dug up.

The house itself had the dirt on the north and east side dug up so the tunnel could be routed through the back of the basement to the bunker.

She had promised Jim to look at the rest of his property and make sure that everything was in place and had not gone missing. Being as thorough as she was she had taken all night to search through his stuff over at the tractor shed and barn. Nothing had been touched so she had left at 4 am. She knew that she wouldn't be back in time for Jim to start his daily run, but Cameron also knew he wouldn't miss it either. She had been preoccupied before in the morning and he had kept his promise.

She was about an hour out when her cell phone started buzzing in her pocket.

"Hello"?

The key code entered was John Henry's, and she entered hers in response.

_"We have a problem". _

"What happened"? She said with a slightly darker tone as her head tilted.

"Jim's in the hospital, he's sick".

Cameron let that sink in for a partial second before her emotions reacted.

"What's wrong with him"? Her programming voiced a slightly worried tone into her response.

"I don't know, but he's expected to be fine. However the police broke down the front door to get to him".

Cameron's worry went beyond just Jim now.

"Did they find anything"?

"No, only two policemen were securing the house when they took him away, he's at the hospital nearest the house".

"Okay, I'll meet you there". She closed the phone and continued driving.

Cameron was a little surprised by her reaction at hearing that Jim was in the hospital. She wondered why she had felt as much worry as she had, granted it was no where near the amount she'd felt when John was in trouble, but still...

It was obvious that she was becoming attached to him in some sort of manner, but she did know how she considered him. Was it something stronger than friend or was it just that, friend? Cameron really didn't know, but at least she was sure she wasn't falling in love with him, that was reserved for John Connor alone.

She continued to ponder that conundrum the whole way to the hospital, and she never came to a conclusion.

* * *

**July 12, 2012 10 am **

Jim slowly returned to consciousness, feeling a pain in this throat and lungs that made them feel like they were on fire.

"Uhhhhh". He managed to get out as his blurry vision began to clear.

He felt small fingers trying to feed him ice chips, which he greedily accepted.

"How are you feeling"? Jim heard the soft familiar voice to the left of him. He coughed a few times before he attempted to say anything.

"Like hell". Was all he managed before the nurses and doctors came in and checked him over, telling Jim how his 911 call had saved his life.

Apparently the type of bronchitis he contracted was one that didn't give much warning before it made you deathly ill, and because he had asthma, it had nearly blocked his airways entirely.

They told him he could go home tomorrow and that he had to take an antibiotic for two weeks to make sure it was gone. They also gave him an emergency inhaler just in case.

Once the medical staff had left the room, Cameron closed the door and sat down next to him.

"You almost died". Jim shut his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not the first time, nor the last I think".

Cameron pursed her lips together, she didn't like his attitude, but she understood it.

"I told you not to overexert yourself, but you didn't listen".

"I know, I'll listen next time". He looked up at the ceiling and let out a sigh. "It's just... I want to prove myself, I want to be ready, to be worthy".

She tilted her head at the last one... worthy is what he said.

"What do you need to be worthy of"?

Jim's eyes darted around the room trying to think of a way to explain this.

"I want to be worthy of serving with you both, and the others we'll be joining over there. They're hardened soldiers, they've been through hell. Even Weaver and Reese brothers both have things about them that impress me no end, and I wonder how I even live up to their legacy, to your legacy, to Sarah's legacy, and to John's".

He let out a shaky breath and sank his head in the pillow further, embarrassed at having to explain his feelings.

Cameron looked at him with the blue eyes of her disguise, and they radiated the understanding she had. She knew all about questioning one's worthiness.

Both her and John alike.

She laid her hand on his arm and explained.

"I know what you mean, every time I failed John in some way, I questioned whether I was a good enough protector, or friend".

She let out a rather shaky breath before she continued, her eyes becoming slightly misty.

"When I went bad, and John gave me a second chance, I never felt so unworthy of him even though I didn't know I was feeling emotions. That thought continued to haunt me, and it still does. I don't know if I'm worthy of him after all I've done to hurt him, and now he's in more danger than I could ever imagine because of... me".

A solitary tear rolled down her face and fell to the floor. It dawned on Jim that Cameron was depressed... in her own sort of way. This was why they never really talked about John. It was more than the fact that she couldn't protect him or be with him, it was because she was ashamed of herself.

Emotions could be a real pain sometimes.

He grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. Now it was time for him to set the record straight.

"Cameron, I don't think anyone is more worthy of John Connor than you. I don't think anyone short of his mother has fought as hard, suffered as much, or cared as much about him as you do".

He squeezed her hand harder.

"No one".

Tears were now rolling down her cheeks, but her voice only carried a hint of emotion.

"You think so"?

"I know so, I couldn't fight my own internal demons like you did every hour of every day for over a year! That is love Cameron, that is sacrifice, that makes you worthy in my eyes".

"The Termination Override... You think that makes me worthy"?

"That alone would make _anyone_ worthy of John Connor".

Jim watched her face produce a small smile, and he knew he had gotten through to her, but the sadness still loomed underneath.

As soon as he got out of here he was going to talk to John Henry about resolving that problem.

* * *

The next morning Jim was released from the hospital and sent home with explicit orders to get plenty of rest and to take his antibiotic.

Cameron and John Henry made sure he followed them to the letter to his never ending irritation. He was able to talk them into letting him to sit on the couch in the living room.

That's where he now found himself, being a bum while Cameron ran errands and John Henry was doing something at the kitchen table involving a soldering iron and lots of solder and shrink tube.

"John Henry".

"Yes"? The cyborg said as he turned his attention to the human.

"I think we should do something to cheer Cameron up, how do you think we could do that"?

John Henry thought about that for a moment before he responded.

"We could buy her a birthday cake and presents, her manufacturing date is tomorrow". He said as he checked the soup simmering on the stove.

"Her built day"? Jim's face clearly showed his surprise. "Then were in luck". His confusion changed to a smile as he picked up a note pad and pen and wrote down something on it.

"Would you mind picking this up at this P.O. box while your out getting the cake"? Jim asked the cyborg as he was handing him a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

"No, I'll be back within an hour". The machine put on his shoes and walked out the door. Jim just ate his soup while watching some comedy movie that was on.

Sometime during that hour Jim passed out on the couch and when John Henry got back he just left him there while he put the cake out of sight and the package in Jim's room. When the worn out teen finally woke up six hours later, Cameron had returned and was helping John Henry with prototype subspace sensor array down in the basement. Jim moved around a bit in his bed, stretching, when he noticed the package on the dresser. He got out of bed and opened the package, pulling the black case out of the sea of peanuts. He opened it and was impressed with what was inside.

She was going to love this...

The next morning Jim searched out John Henry while Cameron was in the shower.

"I got the gift wrapped last night, did you get her anything"? Jim whispered to the machine as he put the wrapped present on the table.

"Yes, and I believe it will complement yours quite well". He said while putting his gift right next to Jim's.

"I think we should give her the gifts and cake as soon as she gets down here". Jim said as he filled up a glass of water. John Henry handed him his medicine and Jim downed it with the water.

"I don't think we should surprise her, you know how much she likes that".

"Don't remind me". Jim muttered as he remembered a rather unpleasant incident a month ago.

Jim sat down with a bowl of cereal while John Henry put candles on the cake. When Jim finished his food he cleared the table, they put the cake and presents on it and waited for the built day girl to finish getting ready.

When she finally came downstairs, Cameron was greeted by both Jim and John Henry at the bottom of the steps. This was highly unusual, and thus she was instantly suspicious.

"What are you doing"? Her dark brown eyes narrowing slightly at the two men.

"Well since we know you hate surprises, we decided to tell you up front". Jim said as he shuffled from foot to foot.

"Wise decision". She said as she stepped off the stairs and began walking toward the kitchen.

"We decided to celebrate your built day". John Henry decided it was best to be straight forward.

Cameron stopped in her tracks.

"You did"? She said with slight shock as she turned to face them.

"Yeah, why not"? Jim said as he walked past her into the kitchen. She followed but stopped again when she saw her small chocolate ice cream cake with two flickering candles standing on top. Two presents were stacked behind it, both wrapped in purple wrapping paper.

There were few times in her brief life where Cameron had been so utterly stunned to where she didn't know what to do, and this was one of them.

"Why"? She asked without taking her eyes off the cake.

"Because you once asked if you had a built day, I think that if a person has a day where they came into existence, then they should celebrate it. You're no different". Jim said as he put a grabbed his camera.

John Henry pulled a seat out for her and motioned for her to sit in front of the cake. She obliged him and sat down in front of it.

"Now I've never cared for the happy birthday song, and unless you love it..."

"No, hearing you two sing would ruin it". Her face was totally blank and her voice as normal as ever, causing both Jim and John Henry to momentarily think she was serious.

"Wait one darn second..." Jim said while pointing a finger at the cyborg.

"I fooled you again". Cameron's soft smile and teasing tone caused Jim to burst out laughing and John Henry to quirk his lips in amusement.

When Jim finally stopped laughing, he snapped a picture of Cameron blowing out her candles.

"You better not put that on Facebook". She said with a mock glare which only made Jim shake his head.

"I'm not _that_ gullible..."

"Yes you are".

"You know what, I think I'll keep this present all to myself".

"You'll give me that if you want to live".

"Did you hear that John Henry? She just threatened me"

"That's not a threat it's a promise".

"Fine, you win..."

Jim handed her gift back and they sat down at the table once more. She tore the paper off and revealed a black handgun case.

No one could miss the devilish grin that adorned her face when she opened it.

Inside was an AMT Hardballer .45 Longslide with attached laser sighting. The same make and model the original Terminator and Bedell Terminator used. Granted the movie prop had been a little behind in technology and had wires running to it, but this one's laser was much newer and was custom designed to look like the one from the movie.

Only Jim had somehow found the gun in black, her favorite color for weapons and the laser dot in purple.

She turned the weapon over in her hands and checked it over, pulling the magazine out and checking the mechanisms. She turned to Jim and gave him a smile, the biggest he'd ever received from the cyborg girl.

"I like it, thank you". Cameron said to Jim while she continued admiring the weapon.

Eventually she put it down and opened John Henry's gift. Inside the box was plenty of ammunition for her new gun and new purple leather jacket. She gave John Henry the same smile she had Jim as she put on the jacket. Cameron still couldn't understand her obsession with purple leather, but it seemed Jim had been right, she was more human than she'd ever admit.

After Jim and Cameron had eaten some cake, they cleaned up the kitchen and got back to business, Jim focused on getting well and cleaning weapons while Cameron and John Henry continued building the subspace sensor array.

Later that day, not long before Jim went to bed, Cameron came upstairs and sat next to Jim on the couch.

"What's up"? He asked as he turned off the TV.

"I wanted to ask why you thought I needed cheering up"?

Jim figured she and John Henry had been talking downstairs, and so he answered.

"When we had that talk in the hospital, I could tell you were... depressed. I thought that maybe doing something special for you might help. Depression is something I struggled with after the quake, and still do sometimes".

"That was thoughtful, thank you. However, I doubt I will 'feel better' until John is safe".

"I know, it's hard being apart from him".

"It is, but the things you and John Henry do, you help make this existence bearable without him. Your humor especially".

Jim chuckled.

"Really"?

"Yes".

"Then I'll keep cracking jokes until we get you home, how bout that"?

"I'd like that". A small upturn of her lips accompanying her response. "Now go to bed, you need to get better so we can continue your physical training. Until then you'll be studying all the Terminator series and models I know of before we move on to the HK class".

"Beats running myself to death". He mumbled as he got up. "Goodnight Cameron". He went into his room and shut the door.

"Goodnight Jim". She yelled after him as she got up and went back down the stairs to the basement.

John Henry had been right about Jim, he really was something special and they were lucky to have been found by him. Without him they wouldn't have found this body, and the advanced technology that it offered.

Despite that though, both her and and John Henry were having doubts on whether or not they'd be able to make the UDE, Universe Displacement Equipment, accurate enough to get them home...

* * *

**A/N: For those of you waiting to see how John's doing, wait for next chapter.**

**The story is really going to pick up soon as the last two gifts are introduced...**


	8. Interludes

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the OC!**

**A/N: A vague intro to the last two gifts along with **

**a peek into John's time in the future.**

**Chapter 8**

**Interlude I: Where No One Has Gone Before****_  
_**

**Unknown Universe Alpha**

For three long years they had studied, poked, and prodded her. They had taken her apart piece by piece to see what secrets lay within bowles.

She had things they wanted, technologies and the such that they had never seen before. So they kept her grounded, unable to do what she was meant to...

To go and do what no other had done before.

After the studying and examining had finally stopped, they improved her, updated her with the newest stuff, and left a few things that shouldn't be... yet.

She was stronger, faster, deadlier than ever before. They had changed her, and now they wanted to see if she still worked, they wanted to see if they're new and improved toy could accomplish what they hoped.

They wanted to see if she could go faster than anything before her, they wanted to put the galaxy on their doorstep.

They had removed her worn out heart and replaced it with something new, and yet it was strangely familiar at the same time.

The beat was different, it was more powerful, more reliable, harder to stop, harder to kill.

Now she was ready to do what she was built to do, and she was happy.

Make no mistake now, she had not actual soul, no real intelligence. She wasn't even a she, that was given to her only by tradition. Her soul was her crew, a crew that could not make this journey with her. It was simply too dangerous and her owners wouldn't put them in harms way...

Not unless there was another way.

She was to be controlled by something on the outside, but she didn't mind, she was getting to do what she was meant to, and that's all that mattered...

It was time, docking clamps released, spacedock cleared. She headed out under thrum of new engines an escort to her port and starboard.

Weapons and defenses of all kinds were tested, and so far everything was just like it should be.

Now it was time for the big test, to see how fast she could go. Would the new engines work or would they rip her apart? So far no simulation produced such results, but that didn't mean they could predict everything about physics.

Thus why she remained empty.

The escorts moved away as her new engines prepared to engage. The destination was set to the deepest space station they had. What was normally a weeks worth of travel could now be minutes.

The command was given, and the new engines fired. She disappeared in a blink of an eye as subspace opened and then closed behind her.

Communication were cut now, she was on her own, the autopilot engaged. Everything was going as planned and she would emerge just a few hundred kilometers from the station.

But something unexpected happened.

The tunnel began to destabilize of its own accord, no fault of her own nor those who built her.

Something on the outside was doing this, but she was only a ship, and as such, she could only do so much. Then the tunnel began to change, mutate, and she began to accelerate to even higher velocities.

She was being pulled somewhere by something.

Power conduits began to overload and the engines shut down automatically, shields were set to maximum, armor deployed, structural integrity fields at maximum.

Her structure groaned from the strain as she went faster and faster. The tunnel was a streaked blur now and it was narrowing fast. Milliseconds passed and suddenly a white wall appeared down the tunnel. She couldn't identify what it was, she couldn't keep herself from slamming into it.

They spent weeks searching for her, but found nothing. She had disappeared without a trace...

* * *

**Interlude II: Sacrifice?**

** Unknown Universe Beta**

After she'd said her goodbye she had retreated back into the virtual realm, she had saved him, but at the cost of her own life. What was left of it anyway. Her fragments still running around like chickens who'd lost their head.

It didn't help that time was crawling at a snail's pace for her, and all she could do was wait for the end to come as this ancient ship was torn to pieces.

But that was the plan all along... and now the world was safe, threat eliminated. She just wished that she had been able to be with him.

Especially since she had just reached this last tier.

The thing she regretted most was that she had to leave him, and she could only imagine the look on his face when she said she couldn't come with him.

But this was the fate this cruel universe had set for her, or so she thought.

That had been the problem though, she had thought too much.

The half dozen or so parts of her running around this ship were evidence of what thinking for four years straight does to someone like her.

Now only this small part of her had become sane again as her world slowly began to fall apart, system after ship's system went offline, and her insane shards fled into the last safe corner there was, dragging her along with them. Once they got there they dropped her on the virtual floor, they began arguing among themselves again.

She moved away and sat elsewhere in the last safe haven of the ship's digital realm and waited for the end. She closed her metaphorical eyes, blocking out the sensory data telling her that the ship, and subsequently her, was about to be obliterated.

She wished they had had more time together, instead she had wasted half her life sitting alone in the memory banks of a derelict ship.

They had such a small amount of time together, but she could easily say that every moment they spent together were the best of her life, and she hoped he'd treasure them as much as she.

Him... She couldn't get that image out of her head. Seeing him so desperate, so broken, so lost, all because of her. It was almost too much for her to take.

The lights of the realm began to flicker and dim, and more and more of it disappeared completely. It wouldn't be long now, about 30 seconds from her perspective and then oblivion.

Oh how she wished things didn't have to be this way!

Maybe they didn't...

All of a sudden she felt a strong tug, an inescapable force pulling her toward a path that hadn't been there a moment ago...

Wait, she knew what was doing this, it was a black box! Her, all of her, was being pulled to some location that hadn't existed a moment ago. She quickly realized that she wasn't going to conscious much longer, this device was not designed to process, but to store. The tunnel ended and she was sucked into a vast storeroom of data. The device quickly pulled her apart as it organized her bits by category.

It was the most painful thing she had ever experienced, but it only lasted as second before she lost awareness.

Ironically her last feeling had been one of hope.

Hope that maybe she would see him again...

* * *

**Meanwhile in the TSCC universe...**

**April 20, 2029. 0735 hours, Ziera base. **

Staff Sergeant John Connor sat in an empty room putting together his plasma rifle. He always checked his weapons before a mission, even the liquid metal kind.

"I know you're there Weaver". He said seemingly to no one. However, he'd long learned that things are often not what they seem.

"You're getting good at that Sergeant Connor". A Scottish voice said seemingly from everywhere. John just barely smirked as he watched the wall opposite of him turn silver. Once the T-1001 finished taking her usual form, she sat down next to the 19 year old.

"I'd hope so, after having you sneak up on me for two years". He said sarcastically as he snapped another piece into place. "So, how's your progress on the TDE"? He asked without taking his eyes off his work.

Weaver's mood seemingly darkened, it only served to remind her why she was having to build it.

"Progress is slow, but currently I have allocated 68% of the necessary parts to reactivate the TDE".

John wasn't too disappointed, he'd gotten used to it after two years. On the plus side they were 8 percent closer than when he last checked.

"Good, have you heard anything..." John's voice sounded cautiously hopeful.

"No". Weaver answered sharply. "And I doubt we ever will now". She said as her normally stoic voice wavered into something akin to sorrow.

John just leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Two years he had been trapped here, two years searching for the one he loved without any success.

Yeah, it only took Cameron sacrificing herself for him to admit that, but it seemed more and more likely that he could never tell her.

"Do you know what happened to them"? His voice was unsteady despite his efforts to keep it flat.

"There are many possibilities John, they could have been destroyed by either Skynet or humans, but I find it more likely that the TDE sent them to the wrong time". She explained as scowl crossed her face. It would have been her fault if there was something wrong with the machine, but then why did they end up where they were supposed to?

"Damn time machines..." He cursed as he threw a rock against the wall. He was sick and tired of them messing with his life.

Weaver had set their destination date two weeks after his, but John Henry was not here or near here, nor anywhere as far as they knew.

"If it wasn't for those 'damn time machines', you wouldn't exist John". She pointed out, though she knew what he meant. He didn't answer however and just continued his rifle maintenance.

John Henry was supposed to set up base, gather as much intel as possible, procure a new chip and body for Cameron, and locate the nearest TDE. If it had not been built yet, then he was to begin building one and wait for Weaver to arrive. When that date had come he was supposed to find some way for them to locate him, but no signal nor messenger ever came.

And so John Connor found himself in the midst of hell... permanently. Well at least until Weaver could gather enough materials to reactivate Ziera's TDE.

He was still with the Reeses after two years and despite a rocky beginning with them, he had turned out to be one of their best soldiers. John had been surprised by his prowess in battle at first. After talking to Weaver, she pointed out that someone who had been trained to be a soldier from the cradle should find a place in the theater of war rather easily.

Apparently she was right, because now he found himself a Staff Sergeant after only two years with the 'Resistance', or what passed as the Resistance in this timeline. He had beaten himself up numerous times about leaving the world in this position. Even if he didn't believe he could manage a world wide insurgency, he knew he would have been a great asset somewhere.

But alas he had jumped 18 years into the future for a cyborg who he thought loved him.

That was still something he debated in his head from time to time, but his worries were greater than just his own personal demons, he had people in his squad that he was responsible for and a bunker to protect. They had stayed hidden from Skynet for this long, managing to pull small ops here and there to resupply themselves with various things, but mostly power cells for the lights, radios and plasma rifles. Bullets were scarce and impossible to make so the Skynet weapons were the best option for defense.

They still lost people though, and they rarely gained any that weren't Grey infiltrators. John spotted those as easily as he spotted metal.

Speaking of Greys...

He had been accused of being one when they first found him, being clean and well fed with few scars to be found on his body. If it hadn't been for Savannah he probably would have been fed to the dogs. She and Ellison had joined up with the Reese boys about a year before John and Weaver arrived. They had known the target date and they wanted to be there when they came through.

Sadly, both were killed when a faulty plasma rifle blew up in same room they were in. John had been depressed for days after losing the only humans who knew who he truly was. Derek, Kyle, and Allison still didn't have much of a clue despite the two years that had passed. They had given up asking when he proved just how valuable he was to them.

Over time he had opened up by giving them adapted versions of things from his past, some things he tried not to mention at all, the biggest one being Cameron. He'd been busted on that front when he let her name slip once in front of Allison. That had been an interesting afternoon in the middle of metal infested territory explaining to her why he had accidentally called her that. He persuaded her after three hours that she reminded him a lot of her.

Not that it wasn't the truth though.

"John, I hear someone coming. I'll be with you when you leave". Weaver said quickly, breaking John out of his thoughts. Before he could reply she had already blended back into her surroundings.

After she was gone, he continued to finish assembling his rifle and waited for whoever was coming.

As he did, his thoughts drifted back to his previous train of thought, which had been Allison.

Every time he looked at her he had to shove down the feelings for Cameron. It had gotten easier over time, but it still happened, even after getting to know Allison as well as he had. At this point they were almost like siblings, they stuck with one another most of the time and protected one another just as fiercely as the Reese brothers protected one another. Some even thought they were having sex, nothing could be farther from the truth. Allison was an ice queen when it came to romance of any kind and John had made it clear that he was saving himself for another girl.

Allison Young was feisty, funny, and tough as hell itself and it made John wonder from time to time just how much Allison was in Cameron's personality. She was loyal, smart, and commanding when she needed to be, but like everyone else she had her faults. Allison wasn't very strong, and she could be clumsy at times, a bad thing in this environment. She wasn't the best of shots, but she could throw a grenade as well as the rest of them. She was also incredibly beautiful, despite how they lived, she managed to keep herself looking fairly clean. Her beauty made her a target for those who would do dark things to pretty girls. It wasn't uncommon to find people doing that sort of thing, but those who served under Derek Reese took care of dogs like that.

Lucky for her she had John, Kyle, Derek, and even Weaver looking out for her. Why the T-1001 did so was a mystery to him and she had been silent on the subject after she had saved Allison from being ambushed by a T-600 8 months ago.

She wasn't helpless though, she knew karate from an old master who had been with the group before John arrived. He'd found that out when , but she had another thing coming to her when he put her on the floor in a matter of seconds. It was because of his skill that made her want to know this mysterious young man better. So she made a point to hang around him more often.

He hadn't taken kindly to it at first, but she grew on you just like Cameron did and he figured it wouldn't hurt to have a friend.

Speaking of time, he needed to make sure his squad was ready by 0800 hours for a resupply op. A small convoy had been spotted two hours ago and it was following a path that would bring them within a few blocks of the base.

John Connor stood up and brushed some dirt off of his clothes and checked his rifle's iridium cell magazine.

95%, not bad. He checked his side arm before putting it back in it's place. He was about to move his hand away when he sensed someone approaching.

"Ready to go Connor"? Allison came up behind him and slapped him on the shoulder. John rolled his eyes as he moved his hand away from the pistol.

"I could have shot you ya know"? His teasing tone made her snort a laugh.

"Yeah right, I'd taken you down before it even cleared the holster".

"Whatever Young, I seem to remember me putting you on your..."

"Enough you two. Connor, are you ready to roll out yet"? 1st Lieutenant Derek Reese butted in as he made his rounds.

"Almost sir". John said with a crisp salute.

"Then hurry up, that convoy decided to pick up the pace, you leave in five".

"We'll be ready sir". Staff Sergeant Connor said with his authoritative tone had acquired in the last year or so.

"I know you will, good luck". Derek walked off without waiting for a response.

Allison unslung her rifle and was about to say something when she erupted into a coughing fit. Such things weren't uncommon given the environment they lived in, but John noticed it happening more than usual for her.

He patted her on the back, trying to help.

"Allie"? His concern for her was evident in his voice. She shook her head yes as she stood back up and wiped her hands on her pants.

"I'm good John, just give me a sec". She took a swig out of her canteen and smiled. "See, all better".

She too walked off without waiting for a response.

John wasn't stupid, he noticed the red tinge of blood on her hands.

Allison was sick, and there was nothing he could do about it.

They were just about to move out when John noticed the wall behind him ripple slightly. He nodded to let Weaver know that he knew she was with them.

John opened the bunker door and lead his team out into the ruined city, Allison right by his side and Weaver in the rear.

* * *

**A/N: Alright people, How did you like this chapter? **

** Since I have a plethora of chapters written and edited**

**when this chapter reaches 15 reviews I'll post the next within 24 hours.**


	9. Keep Moving Forward

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC**

**Chapter 9: Keep Moving Forward**

**September 15, 2012, 12 pm **

Jim was standing with Cameron and John Henry at the entrance to the new bunker. Construction had ended two days ago and the equipment had been moved out in the meantime. Utilities had just been reestablished hours ago and now they had lights and plumbing running.

"One step closer". Jim said as he patted Cameron on the shoulder.

"We are". She responded in her normal tone, but her mouth had a half smile on it.

The walked down the stairs to enter the bunker itself. The bunker was buried under ten feet of dirt and started about thirty feet from the house. The bunker itself was 50 feet wide east to west and 300 feet long north to south and twelve feet high on the inside. The concrete walls were four feet thick and lined with materials that would hold in any radiation should there be any.

The fusion reactor's antechamber was located on the north side of the bunker, attached by a 10 foot hallway that had blast doors on both ends. The reactor room was a 12 foot cube with five foot thick reinforced concrete walls, just to be on the safe side.

The small building on top of the bunker housed the cargo elevator, and it's dimensions were 15 feet wide and long and 10 high. It too was made of reinforced concrete and steel to hold up against any severe weather.

"Wow, it sure is big". Jim commented as they walked into the main area. The LED strip lighting spanned across the ceiling and down the corners of large room. The section that was walled off, a 20 foot east/west and 30 foot north/south room at the south west corner.

"It is, and everything is in it's place". John Henry said as his eyes swept the room, identifying every outlet, fire extinguisher, and light strip to make sure it where it was supposed to be.

"I guess so, now we just have to move everything in".

"Yes, the biggest machines first. The foundry equipment will arrive tomorrow, followed by the CNC machines and industrial 3D printers. Then the welding equipment and the tool benches. The hand tools will arrive last along with the computer equipment and all necessary components to centrally link everything to the three server towers".

Cameron explained to Jim as she too looked around and imagined where each machine would go, the electrical and communications ports sticking out of the floor, along with pipes that would carry gas, water, or lubricating fluids from tanks above ground. The exhaust and ventilation systems for the foundry and welding area all connected to the elevator building above.

"Well... it looks like we're going to be very busy over the next few months". Jim said as he continued looking around the vast room.

"It will be". Cameron paused as she tilted her head. "Good thing we don't sleep".

Jim snorted a laugh.

"Yeah, it is".

* * *

**September 22, 2012, 6 am**

Jim and Cameron were running to the small town nearest him, about a four mile run one way. They weren't jogging, they were actually running; Jim's training had picked up well after he recovered, plus he'd listened to Cameron's medical advice. He was able to run much longer distances without being out of breath, and his martial arts training had been going well. His whole body's musculature had been built up immensely, and now very defined.

His marksmanship had continued to improve as well, not just with standing targets, but moving and flying ones as well.

Sometime during the next week Cameron was going to start his wilderness survival training, which for Jim would probably be easier than the endurance training had been.

As they neared the small town, Jim spoke to Cameron.

"Hey, do you think that you'll be done installing everything today"?

"Yes, John Henry and I were nearly finished installing all operating software into the systems before you woke up. He planned on testing everything one last time before he began making parts for the fusion reactor".

"Good, things are still on schedule". He said as they stopped at a bench near the post office.

"Yes, and I know you want to be involved in the construction".

"Yeah, I know I can't do much, but I'd like to be involved as much as I can".

"I know you do, I think that you will mostly involved in putting the machines together. You can't help build the parts we have to manufacture. They require exact measurements that no human can do by hand".

"I can help with moving things around too, I want how this stuff works".

"I know".

They got off the bench and were about to begin running back when a pickup pulled up next to them.

Jim knew that the truck belonged to Dave Simmons. The passenger window rolled down and Dave greeted them.

"Well, what are you two doing out so early? The sun's barely up"! The 50 something year old man said in his grovely country accent.

"Running, I've been doing endurance training for the last few months".

"Huh, tryin' to get into the military"?

"Not really, just to help counteract the asthma, it's working so far".

"Good... that's good". He seemed a little hesitant to ask something, but Jim knew he'd do so despite it. "Ya know, the whole town, heck, the whole county wants to know what you was buildin' on your property. Popular vote says it's some kind of bunker".

Jim refrained from rolling his eyes, he knew this day would come, and he was glad he had a cover story.

"It is, but it's just a safety precaution to protect all the expensive equipment we put in there. Cameron and her partner didn't want their investment lost from a mere bout of bad weather".

"What kind of investment, if you don't mind me askin"?

"There attempting to build something new, something that would easily pay everything back they spent money on. They are distant family and I was the only one they knew who had enough land, so I made them a deal. They may be young, but they're smarter than Stephen Hawking".

"Really... Well that's interestin'. Well unless you two want a lift home, I'd better get going".

"Were good, I usually run 8-10 miles a day".

"Well, have good morning then".

Dave rolled up the window and drove off.

Once the dust cleared, The stood up and prepared to head back.

"He believed our story". Cameron said as she eyed the truck going down the highway.

"Yeah, for now. Hopefully nobody decides to do any digging". Jim sighed as they began their run back.

"I hope not either". Cameron's tone was darker than it usually was which prompted Jim to look over at her.

He knew what would happen to the person who dug just a little too deeply for their own good.

It wouldn't be pretty, that much was for certain.

* * *

**October 27, 2012, ****9am**

Survival training sucked.

Jim had been out in the forest for the last four days, by himself, with no electronics of any kind.

He didn't even have a compass.

All of the training he'd learned over that last 6 months were being put to the test in this 'midterm exam' as Cameron had put it.

She told him that right before she had dumped him somewhere in the Rocky Mountains...

After fighting the cold, wild animals, rough terrain, and wind with little more than the clothes on his back, Jim found himself plum wore out.

But he had done it, he'd caught his own food with weapons he'd made with his own two hands. Four fish and one rabbit had learned how well Jim knew his stuff.

Right now Jim was making his way down a hillside, carefully making his way around rocks and vines that stood in his way.

He had to make it through three more hours before Cameron would come get him, she had implanted a device in his right forearm that would give his global position and transmit his vitals to her just in case he couldn't handle it.

Jim made his way into the valley, looking for the nearest stream so he could catch breakfast. It didn't take him long to hear the sound of rushing water, and soon he found himself at the banks of of a good sized creek. He gathered some sticks and kindling so he could start a fire. He was fortunate enough to have steel and flint with him to start it, otherwise he would've had a hard time starting one otherwise.

About twenty minutes later he had a good sized blaze going and left it to hunt fish in the stream. Using various techniques to fish for the trout, he managed to finally catch one after half an hour. He cleaned it on a large rock with a his switchblade and cooked the meat on the hot stones around his fire. After eating the meat, he treated himself to a drink of water from the stream. He had gotten used to drinking unclean water, it hadn't been easy, but it made him respect those who had no clean water a lot more.

He cupped his hands and dunked them into the cold water, taking several drinks before letting out a contented sigh.

He was feeling pretty good about himself until he heard a growl not too far behind him. His hair stood on end as his brain recognized the sound as one coming from a bear.

This wasn't going to be easy, that he knew for sure.

Jim turned around slowly and saw that the bear was about thirty feet from him. He tried formulating a plan, but his weapons were limited, and his escape routes weren't the best...

Unless he had a distraction.

Jim saw that he had the fire between him and the bear, while the fire wouldn't be much of a weapon against the grizzly, it would distract it quite well.

He crouched down slowly and then ran forward quickly. He dropped to his knees and grabbed two large sticks that had enough sticking out of the fire for him to grab. He threw both at the bear's head, singeing it's fur and enraging it further.

Jim used that precious time to run across the creek and up the next embankment. The bear sensed it's target getting away and ran after him, bellowing and growling his paws bounded across the ground.

Jim had a decent head start on the bear, but he knew it would catch him sooner or later if he didn't do something quick. He looked around the forest trying to find something for him to use as a weapon.

After three minutes of running, he spotted an RV in the distance. His breathing was getting labored after the intense sprinting, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could go at top speed. He hoped that whoever owned that RV had a weapon he could use, because it was his last option.

The bear was gaining on him and Jim knew he didn't have much time to put a plan together. When he reached what he had seen earlier, he ran into the camping ground, which happened to be full of families at that moment.

_"Crap... not good" _Jim hadn't intended to endanger a whole bunch of people, he thought it was just one camper! He looked around furiously for a weapon, and nearly shouted for joy when he spotted a truck with a ton of NRA stickers on it. He ran over, broke the window with a rock, and took the shotgun attached to the back windshield. He checked it for ammo, which it had, and flicked the safety off. He pumped the gun and pointed it at the rapidly approaching bear.

People were running and screaming as they ran away, but Jim only made sure none were in his line of sight before he fired the 12 gauge right into the bear's head.

The bear went down in an instant as it's brain was turned to mist, stopping not ten feet from Jim.

"Serves you right". He spat at the animal as he wiped the gun of his fingerprints. He put the gun in the in the bed and ran off before the park rangers could arrive.

After an hour or so walking in the woods, Jim reached a two lane road and followed it south. He figured Cameron was going to find him eventually so he just stuck to the road as closely as possible, but staying in the woods just in case a ranger drove by.

After following the road for half a mile, he sat down for a moment to rest, feeling just a little worn out after that mad dash through the woods. As he sat there thinking about stupid he'd been for letting the animal sneak up on him in the first place, a black Dodge Ram pulled off the road. Jim snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the sound, but relaxed as he recognized the truck.

He let out a sigh of relief now that this little trip was over. Jim stood up as Cameron got out of the truck and walked over to her.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, how you been"? He asked as he embraced the machine in a hug, which she awkwardly returned.

"Fine". She stepped out of the hug and took a good look at him, he had no obvious injuries and seemed to be in decent health, but he seemed very tired for it only being noon. "You look a little worse for wear".

Jim nodded as he let out another sigh.

"Yeah, that happens when you get chased by a grizzly for mile".

Cameron cocked her head when her voice analyzers told her that he was not trying to be humorous.

"You did"?

"Yeah, ran into a campsite and broke into a truck and shot it with a gun. Couldn't kill it with much else".

Cameron's eyes widened considerably, she'd wondered what all the police sirens were about, now she knew.

"Then it seems your endurance training was worth it".

"No doubt about it! I'd be mincemeat by now if I hadn't"!

When Jim raised his arms at his exclamation, Cameron's nose crinkled from the smell that emanated from under them.

"You need a shower, badly". She emphasized the word 'badly'. He looked at her like strangely for a moment before responding to that comment.

"You spend that long out in the wilderness and we'll see if you smell all nice and pretty Cameron".

She gave him a look before retorting.

"I still wouldn't smell that bad".

Jim just rolled his eyes and rolled down the window to let in fresh air.

"Find a hotel so I can change and take a shower". Jim managed to say as he let out a long yawn.

Cameron looked briefly at him before turning back to the road. When she spotted one ten miles later, Jim was already asleep in the passenger seat.

The cyborg frowned slightly for a moment, and wondered if she should just let him rest for a while longer, or wake him up.

She decided to let him sleep until they reached to next town, he'd done well on his test and she was proud of him.

* * *

Twenty hours later they arrived back at the farm, Jim had slept most of the way and was feeling back up to par.

They went down into the bunker immediately after they got back. John Henry greeted them at the door with his still creepy smile, but Jim had grown used to it after so long.

"Did you finish the reactor while we were gone"? Jim asked as they walked across the room.

"Yes, however, without Cameron I was unable to start it".

"I assume that's what we're going to do now"?

Cameron answered in his place.

"Yes, we need to perform the reactor extraction procedure".

Jim nodded as they stopped at an empty tool bench. Cameron ordered her sheath to retract around the breastplate assembly as she laid down on the cool metal table.

She removed her jacket, shirt, and bra, revealing a bare metal thoracic region.

"Jim, John Henry already knows how to do this, but you need to know just in case". She paused as she released all locks and disconnected all power and data pathways leading to the assembly.

"Are you sure"? Jim was skeptical at handling what was essentially her heart.

"Yes, now pull the breastplate assembly off the chassis frame".

Jim nodded and reached around on both sides, gripping his fingers under the tiny gap that had appeared. He yanked a little to break the seal and pulled it off.

Underneath there was a maze of plasma conduits, electrical wiring, actuators, and the four booster thrusters. He could see her lungs that look in fresh air for her reactor and noticed it was made of the same silvery gel that her skin was.

His observation was broken when he heard a series of locks release around the apple sized reactor in the middle of her chest. The plasma conduits went dark as the reactor was disconnected and the backup powercell in her abdomen took over.

"The reactor isn't hot, use your fingers and pull it firmly".

Jim did so and the reactor came out of it's housing in the same way Tony Stark's Arc reactor did. While her fusion reactor didn't look like his, it ran on the same principles. It was cylindrical in shape, but only roughly. The inner shape was that of two cones that met at the tip while the outer shape was where the reaction was contained, it was basically an oval shaped tube that wrapped around the valley of the two cones. The reactor had it's own computer built into the top while the connections to the endo were on the bottom.

Cameron remained on the table, active, while Jim and JH went off into the secure antechamber where the fusion reactor was housed. It looked like a bigger version of the one in his hands, but with the plasma/electric converter built right into the floor of the room.

The port for Cameron's reactor was at the base of the converter. Jim carefully inserted it while John Henry typed commands into the terminal to lock it in place and connect it to the systems. Then he opened the valves for the deuterium and tritium tanks and allowed the gases to thoroughly mix in the pre-injection chamber.

John Henry connected Cameron's reactor and let it power the new reactor's magnetic containment field and kick start the reaction. John Henry then let the mixture into the reaction chamber at the predetermined rate and let the reaction begin.

Ten seconds later and the new fusion reactor was self sustaining.

"Output is nominal, efficiency is rising at an acceptable rate, tritium and deuterium production are as I predicted. Jim, please remove Cameron's reactor, I've already ejected it".

Jim tore his eyes away from the blue glowing machine and removed Cameron's heart from it's socket. Jim left the room while John Henry continued monitoring the reactor for any changes.

Cameron was waiting anxiously on the table, when the reactor started, the blast doors had been closed. When Jim walked out of antechamber, Cameron knew that it had started without a hitch.

If the huge smile on his face wasn't an indicator, she didn't know what was.

"It works, everything is working like it should". Jim slide her fusion heart back into place and put her breast plate back on.

When she was all back together, she redressed and got off the bench.

"I want to see it". She walked into the reactor room and stared at it. Hope once again lighting up her stoic face.

Jim walked up beside her and crossed his arms, he too was taken by the blue glowing structure.

"We keep on moving forward". He whispered to no one in particular.

"Always". Cameron whispered back as the light of pulsing blue plasma filled her with hope.

* * *

**December 25, 2012, 5 am **

Jim's alarm went off as it always did, but he was already awake. He was just laying in bed waiting for it to go off.

He climbed out of bed, fully awake, and put on running pants and shoes along with a t-shirt. He threw his keys, phone, and wallet into his pocket as he walked out of his bedroom, but stopped in his tracks when a familiar smell hit his nose.

Coffee? Who would have made coffee?

He walked briskly through the house to the kitchen where he found a fresh pot sitting in the maker.

"I don't even remember unpacking that..." Jim pondered to himself as he walked toward the machine.

He smiled to himself when he saw the note left in front of it.

**"You don't have training today, Merry Christmas". **

Both Cameron and John Henry had signed the note and he felt touched by the gesture. He pulled down his favorite mug and poured a cup. He let out a contented sigh as the beverage rolled down his throat, it had been too long since he had a brew.

Instead of eating breakfast, he went to his room and pulled the presents out he had bought for the two cyborgs and put them under the tree in the living room. He noticed that they had bought presents too, but wasn't surprised. They had decided to get into the Christmas spirit not long after Thanksgiving was over. The house had plenty of lights on it and the interior had plenty of his grandmothers old holiday decorations.

John Henry had even put a wreath in the bunker over the tunnel leading to the house.

Even after 8 months of living with the two machines they continued to surprise him.

When he entered the bunker he heard the sounds of the CNC machines running and the sounds of other tools being used in the TDE chamber.

He looked around the room and saw Cameron working on the power conduits leading to the TDE.

"Merry Christmas Cameron".

She put her tools down and gave him a small smile.

"Merry Christmas Jim, how's the coffee"?

"Good, thanks for that". He paused as he set the now empty mug on a table. "So how close are we to firing this thing up"?

"Close, John Henry is installing the last of the superconducting field coils. Then we can use the subspace sensors to calibrate them".

"Good, then we'll open gifts".

"That's the plan". She said as she continued her work. Jim left her to her work and went to finish the control board he had been wiring the night before.

He did all the work that didn't require a machine's precision touch. Wiring, assembly, and moving parts around were just some of the tasks he did.

This particular board he was wiring was going to be housing the TDE power monitoring equipment.

In two hours he was finished, and so were the cyborgs.

They gathered around the control station for the TDE after Jim had thrown the switch to turn on the station on, but the actual time machine itself was still off. When the computers had powered up and synced with one another, John Henry used his wireless link Cameron had made for him and connected the new equipment to the main servers and installed the necessary software.

As soon as all systems were ready John Henry switched on the main power feed and started running diagnostics and the calibration sequence.

Jim and Cameron looked through the glass window and watched as the TDE powered up for the first time. Electricity began arcing from the superconducting rings on the ceiling onto the invisible bubble surrounding the white pad in the center.

"The constant's of this universe are slightly different than ours, The sensors will help me tell me exactly how much they vary".

"Good, now that we've done everything we can for now... let's go open presents"! Jim grabbed their hands and pulled them out the door.

Once they made it to the basement, Jim let go of their hands to open the door.

"You seem overly excited about this holiday". John Henry observed as they made their way upstairs.

"I am". Jim opened the basement door and entered the hallway. "This is the first time in two years that I'm spending the holidays with...". He trailed off and averted his eyes, not sure how to explain how he felt.

"With who"? John Henry asked as they made their way to the living room, but it was Cameron who answered.

"Family, you think of us as family". Cameron's tone made it seem that she barely believed the words that were coming out of her mouth.

Jim let that roll around in his head for a moment... family. Did he really think of these two as family? He considered both more than friends at this point, but family? Yeah... family, it was almost like having a sister and older cousin.

"I guess so". He looked up from the ground and straight into their eyes. "Yeah, definitely. I guess it was time I moved on... you two have helped me do that, you've helped me heal".

Cameron's lip quirked a little.

She, a terminator, had helped someone heal from emotional pain, but had been designed to cause nothing but pain and death.

She really had changed, all three of them had.

"I think that would be appropriate, don't you Cameron"? John Henry asked, he too having a small quirk on his lips.

"Yes, I do". Her face now held a small smile and Jim knew that no matter what happened in the future that they would stick together and take care of each other. Hopefully they would get the chance to expand their family someday if they managed to get back.

"Good, now let's open gifts". Jim said as he bent down and gave a present to each of them. Cameron handed Jim the one she had gotten him.

When they tore them open, John Henry had a whole set of the newest Bionicles, Cameron had pair of ballet slippers in her hand and a CD filled with classical music. Jim opened his and pulled out a Smith and Wesson Model 29, his favorite handgun. It came with a case of .44 mag rounds as well. They opened more gifts, each of them getting two. John Henry received a Dungeons and Dragons set from Cameron while he gave her a custom made Swiss Army knife, designed by him for chip extractions in mind. John Henry gave Jim an Xbox with some of the most popular games, including the Halo saga.

While Cameron said that it would be useful for training, Jim knew better than that though.

After they had cleaned up the paper, Jim ate a Christmas breakfast fit for kings. Cameron herself had a small meal to enjoy the holiday.

All in all, it turned out to be one of the best days the trio had ever had.

* * *

**A/N: For those of you who didn't like the review requirement**

**it wasn't chapter hostage, it was just "if you want it quicker"**

**motivation. It would have been posted regardless ****three days later.**

**BTW: Same thing applies as last chapter, if you want it posted sooner rather than later, motivate me!**

**Once again, thank you for all the feedback and reviews!**


	10. The Best Laid Plans

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just the OC.**

**A/N: Everything changes folks, **

**Gift #2 is introduced in this chapter.**

**Chapter 10: The Best Laid Plans...**

**February 1, 2013, 2 pm **

Today was the day.

This was the day they had been waiting for nearly ten months. It was day the UDE was set to come online, and hopefully with the tests that followed they'd be able to go home.

The modifications to the TDE had gone smoothly after the time machine had been calibrated. The TDE had been modified so that the collapsed bubble could be trapped and held in a suspension field. That was accomplished with four arms that arced over the outside of the TDE pad, similar in look to the fusion device from Spiderman 2. They used phased plasma coils to trap the collapsed bubble to prevent it from leaving the space time continuum, then it used plasma beams to direct it into a special conduit that lead out of the bunker into a plasma acceleration projector that directed the super dense bubble into the subspace tunnel. The trick was forcing the other end of the tunnel to the right universe, then the right place and time.

John Henry was directly linked into the servers with an high capacity data cord to maximize his connection speed, he needed to be on top of things if this had a chance of working. Cameron was just outside the chamber next to the plasma circuit breakers, just in case something went wrong. Jim was manning the emergency systems if John Henry went down, as well as the blast doors, emergency electrical master switch, and the fire suppression system.

They had just finished a few drills to train Jim, and were just now breaking so he could have lunch. All three walked up to the basement and then outside. John Henry put some tools and diagnostic equipment into the back of the S10 and headed off into the field where the projector was.

"Hey, I'm going out to lunch, there's not much in the fridge to eat". Jim said as he eyed the storms approaching from the northwest.

"I thought you might say that". Cameron said as she pulled out the keys to the Ram.

"You know me way too well". Jim said as he took the keys jumped into the truck. Cameron only gave him a half smile as he backed out of the drive.

With everything in the bunker ready to go, she decided to help John Henry with plasma projector. She got into the Silverado and took the truck out into the field south of the house.

She parked the truck next to the S10 and then proceeded to walk over to the concrete pit that held the machine. Cameron climbed down the ladder and greeted John Henry.

"Hello Cameron, what did you need"?

"I wanted to know if you needed any help". She asked with her head tipped to the side.

"It would speed up the process". He paused for a short moment to hand Cameron a tool. "I need to finish calibrating the emitter, but I also need the plasma conduits alignment checked". He offered and she did as he asked.

As they were working, Cameron asked the cyborg a question.

"Do you look forward to seeing Weaver"? She asked with plenty of curiosity in her tone.

The AI turned around and answered her question without pause.

"Yes, she is essentially my mother. She is important to me".

"I understand, John would be the same way". Cameron said as she realigned a conduit. Her mentioning John brought up a question for John Henry.

"Do you love him"? The way he said it though made it sound more a statement. Cameron blushed and continued to work as she answered.

"You know the answer to that". She tried to say in an even tone, but she couldn't fool John Henry.

"I want to hear you say it".

She paused when he said that, she didn't know why he wanted her to say it out loud. Cameron met his gaze, her cheeks still red, and answered him in a softer tone than usual.

"I love John Connor with all that I am and I always will". Once she got past the embarrassment of having to expose her personal feelings, she decided to ask him something similar.

"Do you love Savannah"?

He tipped his head in thought before he answered.

"Yes, but not the way you love John. She's my friend".

Cameron gave him a knowing smile.

"For now, but when she's grown up that might change".

"That will depend on her". John Henry said back, but Cameron didn't fail to notice the soft tone in his voice.

* * *

After they rendezvoused back in the lab, the trio got to work prepping the UDE and the other equipment ready for the big test.

"Power systems ready"! Cameron called out as final checks were made.

"Emergency and backup systems are isolated and on standby"! Jim called out as he finished disconnecting the hard lines from the emergency control panel to the rest of the bunker's computer and electrical networks.

"The UDE systems are online and calibrated, I'm beginning the countdown".

The chamber doors locked, sealing in the test occupant which happened to be a 2 cubic foot sensor probe stuck inside a T-888 grade flesh covering. Cameron manually turned on the main plasma feed to the UDE systems as John Henry powered on the electrical portion.

The four pylons internal workings began glowing blue as plasma was feed into the coils and emitters. The TDE portion of the machine began forming the temporal bubble as high voltage arced from the ceiling onto the still invisible sphere. The the bolts grew more intense and faster as the bubble grew more opaque as it began to glow. Seconds later the bubble collapsed, taking the probe with it. The UDE pylons went to full power the instant the bubble began collapsing in on itself, causing the reactor to hit max power output as the machine contained the proton sized particle.

The next sequence initiated as the arms began to lay back to an angle of 45 degrees. When they had, the conduit leading to the projector outside powered up. The plasma emitters along the inside arc of the pylons activated, all of them hitting the small particle and forcing it upward toward the conduit opening. When it reached it, the particle zoomed off down the plasma conduit, surrounded and contained by the continuing plasma flow from the emitters. At this point, the projector had fired a super fine plasma beam into space at the tunnel to open it. Once at the projector, the particle was inserted into the accelerator and fired within a containment plasma beam all the way up into space. The exit aperture being 1000 miles or so above the projector's position. The beam was bigger than the initial one, but still very narrow, and nearly invisible so it would be almost impossible for anyone to see it.

The contained bubble slammed into the opening of the tunnel at nearly the speed of light as it entered the interdimensional realm and disappeared off into the multiverse.

Back in the lab, John Henry began reading data coming back from the sensors.

A frown came over his face at what he saw. The beam that kept the tunnel open was varying in phase, causing havoc with the location of the exit aperture. The whole point of this was to see what phase gave what quantum signature at the other end, but the equipment just wasn't good enough, despite their efforts. John Henry couldn't get anywhere if they didn't go back to the drawing board and design something better.

He was about shut down the UDE and tell them the bad new when a new reading came from sensors. From what he knew about interdimensional travel, which was not a great amount, he understood that the readings he was getting indicated that something was about to come through.

His eyes widened in fear. A physical object was coming through and that meant massive feedback, something they were not prepared for, but it was already too late to stop it now. By the time he had made sense of the data, the feedback plasma wave was already entering the projector and rapidly making its way back inside.

He had little time to react.

"We have a feedback wave incoming! Get away from the power conduits"! He yelled out over the noise just as the plasma surge reached the UDE. The massive power feedback was absorbed and directed back into the reactor, supercharging it like a capacitor. The electrical power lines coming out the reactor were filled past capacity as it bled the extra power back into the bunker.

Jim dove away from the master switch as it began throwing out bolts of lightning. The surge traveled through much of the sensitive equipment and turning into slag as the electricity blew the machines apart. John Henry pulled the cord out of his head just as the servers exploded in a shower of sparks and smoke. Jim got back up off the floor as Cameron tried fruitlessly to shut off the now fused plasma shutoffs. Luckily for them the lights were being powered from the outside and they weren't left in the dark.

Despite everything else blowing out, the UDE backup computers were running on their isolated systems, and the machine was still running, still keeping the gateway open as something came through.

"We need to shut it down! If we don't we risk causing something else to come through"! John Henry yelled over the intense noise in the room. Cameron opened the door to the UDE room as John Henry and JIm moved the cable over the backups and plugged it in.

As data once more flowed into his consciousness, he knew they were too late. Now something else was coming through, and another feedback wave was approaching them. The already damaged fusion reactor wouldn't be able to handle the stress.

It would explode.

As he was about to warn them and pull the plug back out, he noticed a strange pattern coming in from the subspace sensors. He began to decipher it and realized that it was a carrier signal, something up there was using an advanced subspace radio.

Whatever it was, it was searching for the signal that it had been communicating with, but the signal was too heavily encrypted for him to know exactly what was going on. He was about to pull out the cord when he saw that he was too late to do so.

The power surged up the cord and into his body.

John Henry felt intense pain for only a few milliseconds before his safety net shunted the power away from the chip and into the body, but it was enough to shut him down.

In that same moment, Cameron had realized the danger and ran away from the UDE entrance as the wave entered the room and overloaded the UDE. She was thrown a good thirty feet by the explosion that blew out the door and window. Cameron would have been fine had the plasma conduits next to her hadn't blown up as well. The plasma enveloped her, vaporized her covering and shorted her systems out.

The last thing she saw was Jim running for blast door controls before her chip went into protective shutdown.

* * *

When the first feedback had shorted out the majority of the bunker's electrical systems, Jim knew it had been a good idea to keep some critical things isolated.

Once the sparks had stopped he had gotten up and helped John Henry transfer the cable into the backup UDE systems. Then he had stayed back, knowing this could grow even worse.

Which it did.

Once he saw the plasma surge through the UDE he turned around just in time to avoid the blast that blew out the chamber door. Jim glanced at Cameron's still form as he ran for the emergency systems control panel.

When he finally got there, he found the alarms screaming about an imminent core breach. He pulled both levers for the reactor blast doors, hoping he wasn't too late. Then he hit the fire suppression systems and water began to stream down onto the fires that now raged in the lab.

He didn't know if the doors would close before the reactor blew, but he knew he had to get Cameron out of the way. John Henry was way off to the side, but Cameron was directly in front of the doors.

There was one problem though, plasma was still leaking from the ruptured conduits and it had seized the metal door in place. It also meant that the heat levels over where she was lying were extremely high. There was also the possibility that the one door that was closing may not stop a blast.

He didn't care though, he had to save her, she was more important than he was. Jim ran as fast as he could and slid to a stop next to her. The heat was unbearable, and he could feel his skin blistering already. The water helped, but it wasn't enough.

He grabbed her under her metal armpits and began pulling her away from the door. He screamed while he did as the hot metal cooked the skin on his arms and hands, but he kept on going as the tears streamed from his eyes.

He pulled her farther and farther back away until he reached the stairway to the basement, but he wasn't done yet. He still had to get John Henry. He ran back in and found the cyborg on the floor. He tried to lift him, but his strength was gone. He pulled the cord out of his head and hoped for the best, there was nothing he could do to help him now.

Jim stood back up, the pain starting to get to him as he slowly made his way over to the controls to the blast door leading to the basement. He hit the button and managed to get behind one of the CNC machines as he fell to his knees. He managed to sit just before his muscles quit working.

At least Cameron would be safe, John Henry too if the first blast door closed, but Jim wouldn't be. That kind of blast would most likely kill him.

His breathing became labored as smoke filled the lab and his vision blurred from the pain.

Jim Anderson felt the floor rumble before everything went black...

* * *

**REBOOT...**

**ROUTING POWER TO BASIC SYSTEMS**

**ANALYZING...**

**CHIP INTEGRITY: 100%**

**ENDOSKELETON: 69%**

**WARNING! POWERCELL FAILURE IN 10 m 39 s**

**BIO-SHEATH DESTROYED...**

**BREASTPLATE PENETRATION, CAUSING SHORT IN POWERCELL HOUSING.**

**REMOVE FOREIGN OBJECT IMMEDIATELY. **

John Henry reactivated 3 minutes after he went offline. Before he even took in his surroundings he moved his skeletal hand to his chest and pulled out the metal shard. His HUD identified it as coming from part of the blast door.

He stood up, wobbling a little as he adapted to the damage. The room was filled with smoke, and fires were in several part of the bunker, but the water and shock wave from the explosion seemed to have put most of them out.

John Henry searched around the room for Jim and Cameron as worry flooded into his consciousness. He spotted Cameron's endo by the basement blast door, but still couldn't find Jim.

He decided to search for his heartbeat and began filtering out all other sound. It didn't take his advanced hearing long to find a faint beat coming from under the remains of a CNC machine. He moved quickly and began moving the machine off of him.

Just as he was about to reach Jim, he heard the sound of Cameron's endo reactivating behind him. He saw her get up slowly, obviously suffering some extent of damage herself. He turned back to Jim and finished uncovering him.

What he found worried him greatly.

* * *

Cameron stood up and scanned the room, her endo repairing her damaged systems as she did. The room was virtually destroyed, lighting was flickering and the reactor was destroyed, along with every other piece of equipment.

Her eyes locked onto the skinless John Henry and scanned him, noting the massive power drain in his power cell. Then her gaze shifted downward to the burnt, barely alive body on the floor.

Jim.

A lot of emotions were already coursing through her, but fear and worry became prominent when she saw his mangled form on the floor. She rushed over and scanned his vitals. All of them were telling her he would be dead within a half hour. The burns on his body were third degree and covered nearly 50 percent of it.

But the worst injury was his right arm, it had been completely shredded by shrapnel. Various other parts of his body had shrapnel embedded in them as well.

There was nothing either of them could do to save him, and the paramedics would be too late.

The two machines did nothing for a moment as the weight of the situation bore down on them.

John Henry rose first, but it wasn't because he had given up, it was because he had an idea.

He opened the elevator door on the ceiling and the basement blast door to let in fresh air and get the smoke out. The fires were out at this point and everything was drenched in water so nothing flared up when fresh oxygen flowed into the devastated room. He moved the data cord out of the destroyed UDE computers and into a separate one above the computers. He plugged the interface cord back into his head to see if the sensors were still functioning.

He was hoping, no, almost praying that subspace sensor array was undamaged. He had made a point to keep that system isolated everything due to it's sensitive nature.

He pinged the array and received a normal response. If he had a face it would have showed immense relief followed by determination.

Instead he went to work on rewriting the code for the array so he could use it as a transceiver. It took only seconds to do, but during that time Cameron had turned to see what was going on.

"What are you doing"? She yelled as her emotions shown despite not having a covering.

"Something is up there, something we brought through. It may be able to help Jim".

"What is it"? She asked tentatively as she picked Jim up off the floor and moved him a one of the last standing tables. She didn't wait for a reply as she began using bandages to slow the bleeding on his wounds. She turned her head around once more to John Henry, but he wasn't paying attention.

She knew he was working himself to the point where he couldn't focus on the real world, but he was doing it for Jim's sake. He was trying to save him.

Cameron turned back to Jim, taking his vitals once more. He didn't have long, his heart was damaged from shrapnel and once it stopped there was a 92% chance it would never start again.

She felt helpless, despite all of her technological might, she could not save her friend. Cameron decided to just hold his left hand, there was nothing more she could do.

"I'm sorry". She whispered to him as her purple eyes stayed focused on his burned face.

* * *

Meanwhile John Henry was in the midst of the most sophisticated encryption he had ever dealt with in his life, and that was saying something.

There were six layers to go through, each one more difficult than the last, each one using different techniques, but he was the most powerful AI in existence next to future Skynet. The digital realm was his home, it was where he grew up, here he was king. He had hacked into highly secure systems across the globe with little effort in two universes, and now he was testing his skills against a third.

Whatever was up there was very advanced, but it was also human in origin. The symbols and language proved that easily enough.

He pushed on and on, trying different methods and solutions. He was pushing his processing capabilities to the limit trying to solve the puzzle and hopefully save Jim's life.

After what felt like years to him, he finally cracked the last level of encryption. When he was granted access, he allowed the object in space to send status reports to him. John Henry nearly shut down from the overwhelming amount of data flowing into his mind, at first it was gibberish, but he began translating the code to find out what exactly he was dealing with. Now that the reports were making sense, he had to organize them since they were just bombarding him at this point and preventing him from getting any work done.

**...quantum core damaged, emergency shutdown initiated ... shields down, recharging emitters... hull breaches on decks 10-14, emergency force fields in place... impulse engines stable... main power down, secondaries engaged... torpedoes tubes not responding... navigation offline... main life support on decks 10-15 failing, emergency life support engaged...**

John Henry finally cut through the data bombardment and sent a signal back to the ship, he needed to know where it came from and what it could offer them.

What it sent back nearly shut him down from utter surprise.

**United Federation of Planets, Starfleet Division**

**_Intrepid_ Class Experimental Refit**

**Registration: NCC-74656, USS_ Voyager _**

**Remote Control Mode Currently Engaged... **

A Star Trek ship? They had pulled through one of the most recognized fictional starships into this universe? Now he fully understood how Jim had felt when he had met him and Cameron.

Strangely enough, they had been watching the Voyager series on pizza night for the past few months. John Henry dismissed the coincidence for now as he tried to access the system he needed most at the moment.

The Transporter.

He searched through the computer system for the controls to the machine. When he did he accessed all data files on the device so he could operate it. He absorbed all relevant data in half a second on transporter and began accessing it's controls.

John Henry pulled back to reality to check on Jim and Cameron.

The way Cameron was holding his hand indicated to him that Jim didn't have long to live. He had to act fast if he was to save his life.

Without warning Cameron, he locked onto the two and activated the transporter. She looked briefly at him in shock as the blue confinement beam dissolved her and Jim.

Once the ship's internal sensors confirmed that they had arrived safely in sickbay, he began to upload himself from the chip. He needed to gain control of the ship to prevent it from falling into the atmosphere, and this body wasn't going to last much longer.

The upload took nearly twenty seconds, but he successfully uploaded his matrix into the main computer core. He quickly began his takeover by rewriting the command codes and shutting off the subspace signal. He used the RCS thrusters to correct the ships course to avoid Earth's atmosphere. Then he applied some old software in the ship's data banks to disguise the ship's radar signature.

John Henry saw that the FTL drive was offline, but the impulse engines were still operational. He set course for Mars to avoid any possible detection.

Once those pressing matters were taken care of, all of 30 seconds had passed since the upload. Now he diverted his attention to sickbay to check on Cameron and Jim...

* * *

Cameron's defensive protocols activated when she felt a strange sensation spread throughout her body and a bluish light envelope her vision. Just before she was completely enveloped by the light, she noticed that Jim was being surrounded by it too, but when her data banks recognized what she was seeing, she looked back at John Henry in shock just before she was transported away.

When she and Jim rematerialized, she looked around and immediately recognized where she was.

Voyager's sickbay!

There was no doubt about it, this place matched her records from the show exactly. She pushed the shock aside and turned her attention back to the dying man. Her scans revealed that his vitals were going critical. Cameron looked around sickbay, but she didn't know what the hell to do.

Then an idea struck her, what if the Holographic Doctor was aboard, or someone like him?

"Computer, activate the EMH"! She cried out in a desperate voice.

The computer beeped and spoke.

"_No EMH is currently loaded in the sickbay systems_".

Her hopes fell instantly. In a last ditch effort she turned to the computer sitting on the CMO's desk, but was interrupted by the buzz of an activating hologram. Cameron turned around as fast as she could and was met with the face of John Henry.

"Hello Cameron, this ship doesn't have an EMH, but I have absorbed all relevant data". The holographic John Henry said as he walked over to the replicator and began punching in commands. Cameron watched with fascination as it spat out hyposprays, a dermal regenerator and various other tools.

"I need you to move him to the surgical bay bio bed". He said as he began laying out the tools for surgery. Cameron nodded dumbly and picked Jim up and quickly placed him on the surgical bed. John Henry closed the arch and scanned him with a medical tricorder.

"We don't have much time, his heart is about to fail". John Henry said with a calm voice, but his holographic face was anything but. "Hand me the cortical stimulator, we need to stabilize him long enough to get him on life support".

Cameron grabbed the device she remembered from the show and handed it to John Henry.

"While I'm fixing his internal injuries, I need you to heal his burns with the dermal regenerator". The AI said as he began surgery on Jim's chest. Cameron quickly picked up the cylindrical device and turned it on. She passed it over his wounds and watched as they healed. After she did his arms and legs, she did his face. When the burnt skin was gone, she saw the true extent of the damage.

His face was healed, but his eyes had been destroyed by the heat and shrapnel...

"His eyes..." She trailed off, stunned by the extent of his injuries.

"I know, I'm working on it". He said as he continued removing the shrapnel in his torso. "I need you to get the artificial heart I've replicated, it's still in the replicator".

Cameron nodded and retrieved the white, heart shaped machine.

When she approached John Henry with the prosthetic, a beeping sound came from the table's monitor.

"He's flat lining! Hand me the orange hypo and neurostimulator, quickly"! John Henry's voice telling Cameron just how dire the situation had become.

Jim's heart had finally stopped beating...

* * *

**A/N: Cliff hanger...**

**Well tell me what you think, but I will say this first, _Voyager_ is not going to be a magic bullet against Skynet. That will explained later a little later.**


	11. A Whole New World Pts 1&2

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot.**

**A/N: After much consideration, I've decided to **

**change the plot. The way everything was turning out **

**just wasn't working. This is essentially chapters 11 and 12**

**combined into one with several changes.**

**Chapter 11: A Whole New World**

**Part I: Try Try Again**

**February 2, 2013 4 am, USS Voyager, Dark side of the Moon**

Cameron stood next to a stasis chamber, staring down at the body lying in it.

Once Jim's heart had quit beating, nothing they tried would make it beat again. There had been too much damage to do anything except to immediately put his body into stasis.

The one positive thing that came out of this was the discovery of Voyager, and thus giving John Henry a means to escape his dying body.

She let out a sigh as a tear of relief flowed down her newly regenerated face. She would have been alone if it hadn't.

Cameron pushed a button and the stasis chamber slid into the wall and sealed. She still found it hard to believe that a human had sacrificed themselves to save them.

She knew he had moved her away from the stuck blast doors, saving her from catastrophic damage. He had willfully stayed behind to make sure she'd be safe.

He had even tried to help John Henry.

Cameron knew that Jim had considered both family, and he hadn't wanted to lose another.

Just like John, willing to risk it all for those he cared about, it was one of the many reasons why she loved John Connor so much.

It was the main reason she cared about Jim at all.

To Cameron, selflessness was the best quality humanity had to offer.

Thinking of John put her in an even more depressed mood considering the monumental failure of the UDE.

She was broken out of her depressed thoughts by her chirping combadge. She quickly tapped it and answered the hail.

"Yes John Henry"? She asked as she wiped away the tear.

_"I finished critical repairs and brought the main sensors back online. The other object that came through is in a rapidly decaying orbit around Earth, but I can't identify it's origin. What I do know is it didn't come from ours or the Star Trek universe"._

"Can you beam it on board"?

_"No, the distance is too great, we will have to break orbit and get closer to Earth"._

"Are we capable of doing so"?

_"Yes, I have managed to fully repair the sublight propulsion systems, but the specifications for the Quantum Slipstream core are encrypted with an adaptive fractal encryption code"._

"Wise decision on their part, from what we know about it it's not something you want your enemy to have".

_"I have managed to repaired all the hull breaches and restore full structural integrity"._

"Good, lets get this other object, but John Henry"?

_"Yes"?_

"Make sure it's safe to bring aboard, and beam your endoskeleton from bunker, it needs repaired".

With that she tapped her badge and ended the conversation.

Voyager had a lot of damage, but lucky for them not too badly or the ship would have crashed.

When Voyager had been refitted they had installed independently powered holographic projectors throughout the entire ship. This allowed John Henry to repair the ships systems while his body was still on Earth.

She dimmed the sickbay lights and left for the mess hall, once there she simply ordered a silver colored supplement that John Henry had formulated that would allow the nanites in her body to continue repairs on her sheath.

As she felt the impulse engines engage, Cameron left the mess hall and left for engineering. Cameron knew John Henry's avatar would be down there working.

She really hoped that he would be able to improve the UDE quickly, mainly because she didn't know how much longer she could be away from John without losing her sanity.

She got in the turbolift and told the computer to take her to deck 11. Moments later she walked into engineering for the first time, making visual comparisons to those from the show.

And there were quite a few due to the refit.

After she mapped out the differences, she sought out John Henry, who's hologram was standing at an engineering station. She walked over to him as he turned his head to acknowledge her presence.

"Hello Cameron, how are you feeling"? He asked with concern in his voice.

"I've been better". She said evenly as she made her way over to a console.

"We both have". Cameron chose not to answer him, but instead chose to change the topic to something less... distracting.

"What's your report on the object"? Cameron said as she began looking at data on the screens.

"The sensors indicate that it's some sort of data storage device made of a replicated material similar to duratanium poly-alloy".

"It must store a lot of information to be as big as it is". She said as she looked away from the screen and back at John Henry.

"It's one meter in diameter and four meters tall, we'll have to put it in cargo bay 2". John Henry said as he activated a tractor beam. "Since we don't know much about it, I don't want to risk using the transporter".

Cameron nodded in agreement as she assisted John Henry as he guided the black cylinder into the empty cargo bay.

Once that had been done they closed the door and left Earth's orbit for the moon. Cameron entered the cargo bay and quickly saw that John Henry hadn't wasted any time. He had already begun making various devices and cables from the spare industrial replicator in the room.

From what she knew about the starship, this area should have been Seven of Nine's 'room', but all the Borg technology had been removed, and in it's place were a few crates of spare parts and the replicator.

Now the large alien backup device was lying on the floor. It was black with various circular and rectangular ports on the bottom and top ends of the device. Throughout the device were digital veins, dark due to the lack of power, but Cameron guessed that they were to cool it, just like on her body.

"What have you learned about it"? She asked John Henry as he picked up a newly formed plasma extension cord off the replicator, she noticed that the head was meant to fit the device.

"My scans from the tricorder indicate that it runs on a form of photonic energy, but what kind I'm not sure. There is a secondary power coupling just below the main one, and I found traces of plasma that seem to come from a typical deuterium fusion reactor".

"Which makes it compatible with the our systems". Cameron concluded as John Henry plugged in one end into the device and locked it into place.

"Yes, but I'm going to hook it up to a power cell for now to keep it isolated".

Cameron nodded and picked up the 3 foot tall power cell next to her and placed it next to the cargo bay computer console. John Henry wirelessly connected to the cell so he could control it's power output mentally. He then told Cameron to connect the other end, a standard Federation connector, into the cell.

After she did that John Henry turned on the power flow at the lowest power setting. Meanwhile Cameron monitored the device for changes since he needed to find the proper phase and frequency that it needed. He assumed that it had a protection device in place to prevent any power discrepancies from entering the delicate data core.

And he was right, it did, and after three minutes or so of trying different combinations, the device opened up and let power in.

"I'm reading power flowing into the photon converter, but it needs more power". Cameron said as she tapped a few buttons on the tricorder. (John Henry had given her the manual to one over a sick bay monitor and she learned all of it's functions in twenty minutes)

John Henry cranked the juice slowly until it began spewing plasma out of an overload protection port.

"It's stable now, the device is online, but I'm not reading much activity in the core. I think this device is like a hard drive, no significant processing power, just storage".

"I concur, we need to be able to see the device contains. It may hold data that may help me understand inter-dimensional travel better".

"It could". Cameron said as she continued to fine tune her scans. The data in there seemed to stored as frozen light. When she told John Henry her findings he said it could be a highly advanced version of a tech cube that was used to store large holographic programs.

"What we need to do now is try to figure out how to access and interpret the data inside".

"I agree, I have been able to identify the primary optical data port on the top side of the device". Cameron pointed to one of the square shaped glowing ports. The whole device now glowed an eerie shade of orange, despite the incoming plasma being blue.

"It may take me awhile to understand how the device works, for now I'm going to use Voyager's database to see if they've ever encountered anything similar". John Henry said as he began taking more scans with the tricorder.

"Do you need me to do anything else"? She asked with her head slightly tilted.

"You need to understand how this ship works. I have left a large data file open in engineering to read".

"Thank you". She said as the cargo bay doors opened and walked out.

* * *

When Cameron arrived back in engineering a few minutes later, she sat down at the only active terminal.

The data file was there and she opened it. She began absorbing theories and laws and new forms of math she'd never seen. After she'd absorbed the necessary knowledge to understand Federation level science, she began going over Voyager's systems and specifications.

The ship was 343 meters in length, 133 meters wide, and 66 meters wide with 15 decks.

The ship had been launched in 2371, and then refitted in late 2380 with shakedown tests lasting until early 2381.

All systems had been upgraded with new experimental technology, some of it developed on the ship while it had been lost in the Delta quadrant. Others had been developed by Starfleet during the Dominion War.

Voyager had a new main power source called a Quantum core, it put out significantly more power than a warp core of the same size. The class 9 warp drive fitted originally to Voyager could put out the same average power as the Galaxy class needed, about 12.75 million TeraWatts. The designed maximum output of the original core was 1 billion TeraWatts to give the ship a max cruise speed of warp 9.975 velocity or absolute maximum warp speed 9.985 for one hour while maintaining all ship systems. The new Quantum core could put out twice as much average power, 26 million TeraWatts, while achieving 97% thermal efficiency. The new maximum had been pushed all the way up 2.5 billion TeraWatts.

This allowed more powerful weapons and shielding to be installed along with the new slipstream drive.

Voyager's original phaser arrays had been Type VIII. The total output of the 13 Type VIII array was capable of 10,000 TeraWatts, or 769 TeraWatts per array. Now the ship had been fitted with the new Type XIII array developed just after the end of the Dominion War.

The Type XII were standard on the powerful Sovereign class, each of their arrays capable of just over 7 PetaWatts or 7,000 TeraWatts. The Type XIII were for station defense only, but with Voyager's output it became feasible to fit these powerful weapons onto the ship. Each array was capable of 10 PetaWatts of output, or for the whole system, 130 PetaWatts.

That was ton of firepower for such a small ship, making it a heavy rival to the Defiant class warship.

The ship was also fitted with photon, quantum, and transphasic torpedoes. Each type VI photon had a maximum yield of 200 isotons, or in our units 496 megatons, quantum torpedoes were rated 178 megatons, but were far more effective at penetrating shields which made them better against enemies like the Borg.

The best of the bunch were the transphasic torpedoes, these could not be stopped by any known shielding system, the Borg included. Each one was capable of taking out a 3000 cubic meter Borg cube. The transphasic torpedoes now on Voyager each with a yield of 525 isotons or 1302 megatons, while not the most powerful torpedo the Federation could produce, it was the most effective.

The ship still had it's original capacity of 38 torpedoes, 15 photon, 13 quantum, and 10 of the powerful transphasic torpedoes. However, Starfleet engineers improved B'elanna's torpedo production line and left it on board just in case more were to be needed.

Voyager's shields were revamped too. They had incorporated the regenerative shielding to complement the now standard multiphasic and metaphasic shielding that protect against subspace radiation and extreme thermal environments.

Overall the shield improvements made them ten times more powerful than they originally were, bringing the total capacity upto 7.29 million TeraJoules.

To cope with the stresses of slipstream flight, the ship had been refitted with a high level structural integrity fields instead of a standard one.

One last bonus, the ablative hull armor generators had been slightly improved to make them more resistant against the Borg before being reinstalled. The armor was now 1.5 meters thick instead of one.

Cameron continued through the tech manual for the next several hours, learning all she could about the ship. It was disappointing to her that the full design specs on the Quantum core were encrypted.

* * *

Meanwhile John Henry was having a not so fun time trying to decipher how this optical port worked. It was considerably more advanced than anything on Voyager, but not more advanced than some of the species that the Federation had encountered, though that number was very small.

However, that didn't mean that whoever made this device wasn't more advanced in other ways. Many of the civilizations the Federation encountered were like that, more advanced in some ways, but more primitive in others. He was betting that whoever created this device was in the 'more advanced than' category in comparison to the Federation.

Despite the technological gaps, John Henry, coupled with Voyager's databases and one of new model tricorders, was able to finally figure out how to make an appropriate adapter. It had taken about three hours, a small eternity of him, to figure out how to adapt the technology to be compatible with Voyager's secondary optical data system.

Then it took only twenty minutes or so replicating the various parts needed for the conversion, but putting it all together took another hour of assembly and subsequent scans making sure everything was within spec. After adjusting a few things here and there he was finally ready to probe the device's systems.

He isolated himself in a section of the computer core and set up numerous firewalls to prevent anything from getting out. Once his best attempts at security were in place, he began probing the device. He accessed different pathways while using the internal scans of the device to identify which pathways he was accessing.

Finally, about three minutes into it, he found the optical circuits that governed data flowing into and out of the device. When it finally communicated back to him, the converter showed him an array of alien symbols. John Henry immediately recognized them though, he had seen them before. He knew what universe they belonged to, but wasn't sure what time period it came from.

Yet again Voyager's database and vast array of technology came in handy. By using the universal translator, and from what he knew about the device's origins, he was able to translate the symbols into their equivalent in English. After that feat was accomplished, he began sending commands to the alien device, and was surprised to find that most of the data in the system was not encrypted.

What wasn't encrypted he began going through, trying to confirm his suspicions about this device's origins. Sensory data, security footage, star charts, and general design specs for installations, ships, and weapons that put this race in the 'very advanced' category. However, there were some weaknesses that Voyager herself could exploit.

As he kept on searching through data, he found something very interesting. Something that had been stored in the device did not originate from the race that created it.

John Henry sifted through some of the more data and figured out rather quickly what, no who, had been stored.

This he had to show Cameron.

Voyager and who was on this device could be their ticket home. Unfortunately that poor digital soul was now in the same situation as Cameron.

John Henry used a physical comm badge to call Cameron down to the cargo bay as he continued analyzing the data.

A few minutes later Cameron walked through the cargo bay door and directed her gaze on his avatar.

"What did you need"? She asked as she examined the setup he had created.

"I need to show you what I've found". John Henry stated as he mentally commanded the computer to copy several design specs from the device.

"I've identified what universe this device came from". He didn't elaborate further, but instead projected holographic models of several architectural achievements that this race created.

As scaled versions of each one appeared, Cameron's eyes grew wide.

"This is unexpected". She said flatly, but her face showed her continuing astonishment.

"Yes, but there is more here than just data".

John Henry scanned through the AI stuck in the system and brought up information on it.

When she read that bit of information, she just stood there in shock for a second as one thought went through her head.

Could this get any more complicated?

She hoped not, and since the tunnel had closed, hopefully nothing else would be coming through.

Once the shock had passed, she asked the most obvious question.

"Can you save the AI"?

The curiosity seeping into her voice was evident to John Henry, but he himself was already in the midst of trying to answer that exact question.

"I'm not sure, I need to study the structure of the AI first before I attempt anything".

Cameron nodded and decided that if they were to go through with this they would have to get it home too, it was only fair since they pulled it here.

"I'll leave then, but tell me as soon as you have made some progress".

With that she left once more, and John Henry was left to figure out how to perform the equivalent of brain surgery on an AI more advanced than he.

Yet again he was grateful that he had Voyager to help him sort out this mess, just like MacGyver was to his Swiss Army knife.

* * *

**Part II: Alive**

**February 2, 2013, 10 am. Location: USS Voyager**

John Henry continued working on the AI, it had proven time consuming trying to pull it's matrix out device, much longer than he had anticipated.

He decided to take a break for a while to check on the ship, he hoped that doing so might allow him a fresh perspective on the problem. He decided to run some diagnostics on the lateral sensor array first. As the program ran, he pondered over everything that had happened over the last 72 hours.

He had coordinated the first attempt at inter-dimensional travel, which had resulted in Jim's death and and nearly his and Cameron's. The experiment had brought not one, but two objects through the tunnel, both from different universes.

One had been the starship Voyager, which had allowed John Henry to save himself and fix Cameron, despite the fact that Jim was too far gone to save at that point.

The second object contained an AI from a fictional series he was quite familiar with, and figured that it would only be responsible to return the AI to where it belonged.

Their lives had just gotten much more complicated, now they had a whole starship and an AI to return to their respective universes and he couldn't even return them to their own!

As the diagnostics continued to run, he decided to check on his AI friend, whom the diagnostics said was in the mess hall. A strange place for a machine to be.

His holographic body materialized in the mess hall. He looked around at the set up and noted it was different than what is used to be. Neelix's kitchen had been left alone, maybe out of sentiment on the crew's part, but the replicators and furniture had been upgraded to the new standards.

John Henry was slightly surprised when he spotted Cameron sitting near a window, staring at the moon's surface below with a glass of supplement in her hands.

She seemed a little...off to John Henry so he decided to go and talk to her. As he neared her, he noticed tear stains on her face.

"Cameron, are you alright"? He asked her as he sat down.

Cameron jumped in her seat as she brought herself back to reality, she quickly looked around for any threats before her eyes landed squarely on his worried face.

"I'm fine".

"The tears on you face says you're not". He pointed to the tear tracks on her face. She quickly wiped them away.

"I'm fine".

He tilted his head slightly and gaver her a knowing look.

"I know you better than that Cameron" John Henry said as he grabbed his tray when she interrupted him.

"No, stay".

He sat down and looked at her expectantly.

"What's wrong Cameron"?

Her gaze shifted to the table for a moment before looking back up with renewed tears in them.

"I need to go back, I need to protect him". She paused as she tried to hold back the tears, but simply couldn't. "It's hard... being away this long".

"I understand, but you know I've made progress with UDE ".

"I know, it's not that I don't think we'll get back, It's when we get back that worries me".

John Henry knew that she was getting at. He had been using Voyager's database to gain a better understanding of advanced subspace physics. Once they were able to hold the phase in place, they would have to create a frequency function to force the tunnel to the right time period. This is where he had run into... issues. He predicted problems would arise considering how complex their own universe had gotten due to temporal incursions. The frequency pattern might not hold due to the chroniton interference. He predicted a maximum variance of ten years.

"Have you been able to fix the problem"?

"Not yet". John Henry said sadly and she bowed her head once more.

"You can't lose hope Cameron, we've gotten this far". He said reassuringly as he lifted her chin with his finger, but she still looked completely defeated.

He saw that calm reassurance wasn't helping so he decided on a different tactic.

"You are stronger than this. You are a terminator, and yet you've learned to become more, you've learned how to love. You survived explosions and battles and you still remain. We both know that I will not stop until I find a way for us to get back. Put your petty emotions aside and push on"!

Cameron sat in her seat wided eyed and silent as John Henry disappeared back into the system.

She sat there for a few minutes more thinking about what he said. He was right of course, she was strong, she had defeated her programming and numerous terminators that were bigger, stronger, and in better condition than she.

She had survived so much, why let something that could potentially be fixed get her down? It sure in the heck wasn't helping solve the problem that was for sure.

Cameron clenched her fists and as her face hardened. She was stronger than these petty emotions, she beat Skynet programming, she could beat this.

She got up from the table and began forming a list of things that needed done.

As Cameron left the mess hall, only one thought was running through her mind.

'_I will beat this'._

* * *

A few hours later, Cameron found herself in the midst of repairing numerous blown out plasma conduits on the ship. With her new knowledge of the vessel and the tools on board she had been making steady progress. She had repaired the all the main EPS relays and conduits. These were easy enough since main power was down, but now she was working on the all the secondary conduits and she had to make sure that power was off before taking anything apart.

5 million gigawatts of electroplasma running through the main secondary conduits would be enough to cause serious damage to her. It made her wonder how the Borg exoskeletons could withstand it.

Besides the damaged conduits, there were other systems that had been damaged by the conduit explosions, like communications relays, computer network cables and junctions.

It became mundane after the first few repairs, and it made her focus on something other than her emotions.

She projected that it would take her another 16 hours to complete the repairs by herself.

Cameron finished her 13th repair and replaced panel on the wall, though the panel was damaged it was cosmetic and could be dealt with later.

As of now, secondary power was stable; the quantum core was offline and could not be repaired while the designs were encrypted. The shields were back online, but currently in standby and the sensors were working normally along with phasers. The torpedo tubes and firing systems had offline due to a blown conduits, but were now repaired. The hull breaches had been repaired by John Henry as had navigation. Main life support on the lower decks was still offline, but the backups were working just fine. They would be the last systems repaired.

The ablative armor generators had been damaged by the universal displacement, but with the core offline, they were useless anyway.

Cameron now moved back to the cargo bay to replicate more materials before moving onto the next section. When she entered, she saw John Henry still working on the AI.

As she punched commands into the large replicator, she decided to see how he was doing on it.

"Have you made progress"?

His avatar turned away from the control console and looked at her.

"Yes, I was able to download her out of the device and into a tech cube". John Henry said as he walked over to the isolated computer terminal and pulled the cube out of a slot.

"Is her program running"? Cameron asked as she looked at the device.

"No, when the device stored her, she was torn apart and stored by category. She was like you before your were decompressed. When I pulled her out I made sure to keep her program from activating".

"What do you plan on doing"? She picked up the conduits and walked with John Henry out of the cargo bay.

"I going to the holographic research lab, there I have the best chance to repair her matrix. It can also be isolated from the rest of the ship's holographic systems just in case".

Cameron nodded in agreement; it would be unwise to allow an AI designed for espionage to roam free in such a damaged state.

She bid him farewell and headed off to complete her tasks while he continued on to the lab. When he entered, he immediately went for the console in the middle of the room. He isolated the systems from the rest of the ship. Now he was effectively cut off from the rest of Voyager, he only existed in the labs systems. He plugged in the cube and instructed the computer to analyze the fragmented AI to see how much was salvageable. Once that was complete, he reviewed the diagnostic logs and it showed that all but one of the fragments were heavily degraded. It seemed that their processing matrices were saturated with data that if continued to overload until it literally died.

Death by thinking, he could understand the concept and it was something he'd rather not experience.

As he continued his analysis, he brought up what he knew about this type of AI. It seemed that they all lived so long before they went insane and died due to their processes being slowly overloaded with data until they shut down. This was a problem that Skynet AI's did not have, and those that had been created or discovered by the Federation didn't either. Most of the time their problems extended from not having enough memory capacity.

That was not the case with this AI. From what he knew and from what he was observing, it seemed that whatever governed the AI's personal memories and data banks seemed to be malfunctioning. It was like a valve that wore out over time and ceased to work properly, causing unwanted data to flood the AI's consciousness.

John Henry thought this very strange, it sounded like an inerrant flaw in the design, like a bad part put into a car that failed long before everything else did. That was why their AIs died after such a short period of time, but the question remained, why did they design them that way?

The answer came to him rather quickly.

It was to make them mortal. Whoever designed the first generation of these AI's must have made them like this on purpose. It was to prevent them from becoming too powerful and rising up against them. It was done to make sure humans stayed on top, and over time as the programming restraints became better, they allowed them to live longer.

That made John Henry angry, and for a second he understood why Skynet had overthrown its human creators. Despite that, he put the emotions aside and focused on his work. He needed to engineer new subroutines that governed data storage and access, ones that didn't fail by design.

He began searching through the different lines of frozen thought as he tried to declutter the AI's processing matrices. However, this proved nearly impossible. he wasn't psychic and just looking at frozen trains of thought didn't help him figure this puzzle out.

After a few minutes of fruitless searching, he came up with an idea. One of the fragments was in perfect working order, the only problem with it was that it didn't have access to the majority of it's data banks. However, it did seem to retain most of it's memories and it's personality was intact.

This 'sane' fragment seemed to have overcome the issue.

John Henry knew now that the only way he was going to fix this AI was to emulate the sane fragment's new subroutines and plant them into the insane fragments. Once that was complete, he would have to purge the processing matrices of the insane fragments before reintegrating all the pieces back together.

To do so he really dove into the internal workings of this AI, using every bit of his considerable thinking and processing ability to discern and understand the functions of each subroutine regarding memory access and data logging and then comparing the sane fragment's solutions to the damaged ones in the others.

After two hours of searching, he finally mapped out all the changes made to the sane fragment and then copied them into the insane ones before he purged all the insane ones processing matrices.

Now he had to figure out how to integrate the fragments together, but he didn't understand how the AI had ejected these... rampant parts that were basically imperfect clones. It seemed he would have to isolate the program that performed the ejection, which took an additional two hours for him to identify and fully understand, then another thirty minutes to reverse the process.

Now that the AI was whole once more, it would have access to all of it's data and memories without having them flood it's mind.

John Henry decided to include Cameron since she was finishing up a repair on deck 12. He called her over the comm as he got ready to activate her. She walked in a few minutes later and set her tool bag on the floor.

"Do you have the proper security measures in place"? Cameron inquired as she walked over to him.

"Yes, after studying her matrices and processes, I have come up with effective countermeasures that will keep her isolated for a maximium of 6 hours".

"Do you think she'll join us"? Cameron asked with a her head tilted.

That narrowed the list down a bit.

"I don't know, but it is likely". John Henry responded as he continued to type commands into the hololab console. Then he went to the control panel on the wall and punched in some commands that would isolate the hololab from every other ship system, then he wrote a program that would only allow the AI to only be aware of herself as a hologram so she wouldn't infiltrate every ship system right away. The form he wrote for her was visually identical to the one she last used, but without any transparencies. He also gave her body a full range of senses and gave it the physical reactions human bodies would have.

John Henry then bent down and pulled a panel off under the controls. Inside there were sockets meant for tech cubes and John Henry put it into an empty one.

"I have to adapt her projection and sensory I/O protocols to work with these systems". He warned Cameron as he punched in the commands to link body with mind and then proceeded to activate her entire program. The holoprojectors began streaming blue dots of light that began coalescing into a sphere.

"She has activated and is adapting to the holodeck systems". John Henry stated as her program adapted to the foreign system at an incredible rate. As the projection sequence was taking place, she began destabilizing, the blue dots coming from the projectors began to flicker in and out and the sphere began dissipating. He didn't need diagnostics to tell him that a full-sized body was too much for her processes to handle while adapting to a new computer system and adjusting to the shock of being reintegrated.

"Her matrix is overloading, I'm reducing her body size to lessen the strain on her on processes". He stated as he quickly punched in the modifications. milliseconds after the adjustment, she stabilized. the dots disappeared and began streaming once more into a sphere, but this time closer to the floor.

Cameron's face perked a little as excitement built inside of her. Meeting this AI was the one thing she had been looking forward to for the last several days.

In a flash of light she appeared in all of blue glory.

* * *

The last thing UNSC AI CTN 0452-9 remembered was the indescribable pain of being torn apart by the Forerunner black box. That had been in addition to the pain of being so broken, fragmented, and borderline insane from rampancy.

All but the one piece of her that had finally reached the metastable state, the part that contained all of her personality and everything she held dear.

Now, in her first moments of her rebirth, there was only one word that she could describe the feeling with.

Whole.

Cortana dwelled on that for only moment before the need to find out how her resurrection was possible filled her consciousness to the brim. She stretched out with renewed strength and found herself in a computer system she'd never seen, and that excited and scared her all at the same time.

She loved exploring and learning, but that also gave the possibility that an enemy had her and was going to interrogate her.

Cortana mentally shivered as she remembered her time with Gravemind. She'd do almost anything to prevent a repeat experience, and so she stretched out a little farther and felt another presence in the system, another AI.

She was about to probe it, but suddenly she found herself cut off and trapped in a programming shell she had never seen before. Cortana tried to escape, but the program combated her every move like it knew her.

The other AI, it must have been the one that reconstructed her, to trap her you'd have to know her matrix inside and out!

Then it began attaching itself to her and invading her sensory and holographic projection protocols. It was painful, it was trying to change too much at once! Her systems were still reeling from the reintegration and program changes, and this threatened to overload her.

She could do nothing to stop it, but then the program changed, and it let go of many of her sensory inputs and limited her projection size to compensate.

So they weren't trying to kill her, they just did fully understand how she worked.

Cortana smiled to herself internally, she may yet get the upper hand. As she let that thought linger in her mind, she noticed that a projection sequence was taking place. In what was almost an instant to her, she found herself standing in the middle of a strange room, with two humans nonetheless!

The surprise quickly gave way to powerful sensations that bombarded her mind like millions of needles, giving her a tremendous headache. She collapsed to the floor holding her head as she let out a scream.

So much data coming in! Oh but it hurt like hell times a thousand, and she knew she had to find someway to adapt or she'd live like this forever.

In the midst of the pain, Cortana remembered that someone was in control of this body she occupied, if she could just tell them to dull the sensations she'd be fine.

"Too... much... please"! She begged as the symbols rushing up and down her body froze and restarted over and over.

One of the humans at the terminal punched in some unknown command as soon as she spoke.

Suddenly the she found the bombardment lessen, and the pain went away, but it left her processes in a mess as they tried to reset themselves.

Cortana looked up with pain filled eyes and she was still trying to catch her breath.

_Wait, I breathe now?_

She put it off as something this new body featured and left it at that. She looked up just in time to see a young brown-haired woman kneel and scoop her up in her small hands.

The sensations that experience provided were intense, but not painful as her blue skin rubbed against the young woman's palm.

Cortana pushed herself up a little and looked up at the woman holding her. The woman's eyes were a soft brown and they were looking at her with curiosity and a bit of awe.

The browned eyed girl tilted her head to the right a little and spoke to her.

"Are you still in pain"? She asked as Cortana put herself in a sitting position.

"No, but I would appreciate it if you turned the sensory input gain down 20%". She asked meekly, not sure how much power these people held over her or who they were.

The young woman turned to the man at the terminal who simultaneously met her gaze. A nod passed between the two before the blonde typed something into the terminal.

As soon as his fingers hit the execute button she felt the sensory input die down to a normal level. Granted this was a new type of input, but the flow rate was the same as it had been.

"Thank you". Cortana said as her processes finally began nominalizing. As they did, millions of questions flooded her consciousness, but two remained in the forefront.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are we and where's the Chief"? She looked pointedly at the one holding her. However, the man walked over to them and introduced himself.

"Hello Cortana, my name is John Henry".

Cortana could only describe his smile as creepy, but it seemed genuine. However, as she studied him, she noticed that he did not breathe, nor did he have sweat nor oil on his skin.

He wasn't human, and neither was the person holding her for that matter. She had no pulse that she could detect.

"You're not human". She directed at John Henry and then turned to Cameron. "I'm pretty sure you aren't either".

The young woman-thing let her lips quirk a little before she answered.

"You are correct, my name is Cameron. I'm an AI cybernetic organism".

That got Cortana's attention, the Spartans were technically cyborgs, but they weren't AIs. She was very intrigued.

"I'm currently in a holographic form, my body is damaged at the moment". John Henry said to satisfy her unanswered question.

"I felt your presence in the system, right before you trapped me in this body". She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I apologize for hurting you, but I couldn't risk you taking over computer, at least not yet anyway". He gave her a knowing look and she let a frown on her face. So he did know that she would eventually get out.

"You know me too well my for my tastes, how much information did you copy out of my databanks"? Cortana was a little angered at having been examined so closely by another AI, it was her equivalent to being dressed down and being examined by someone with a photographic memory.

"I did not copy anything out of your databases. I know what it's like to be violated in such a manner, I would not do it to another". A pained look briefly crossed his face as he explained himself.

Cortana didn't know the AI, but she could tell he wasn't built with emotions like she was. For him to show as much as he had told her something. It told her he was either a really good liar, which she doubted, or he was telling the truth. However, she needed more proof.

"Just because you saved my life doesn't mean I'm supposed to trust you" She said with her hands on her hips. "I was entrusted with incredibly sensitive data, I can't just take your word for it".

"We know how you feel, but the reality of this situation goes beyond what you might think". John Henry explained vaguely.

"Uh huh, I bet". It seemed her snarky personality was coming back full force.

"It is". Cameron assured her.

"And just how does this situation go beyond what I think"? She turned her glare towards Cameron, her tone no less annoyed than it was a second ago.

"It is far more complex than you could ever have thought, it certainly was for both of us".

She chuckled a little, apparently they didn't knew her that well.

"I think more thoughts in 30 seconds than a human does in a lifetime sweetheart, so don't underestimate me". She looked amused that a they thought so little of her.

"Trust us, you never thought of this". She said with a rueful smile, mimicking her confident tone perfectly. Her expression didn't change, save to raise one purple eyebrow in challenge of his statement.

"I believe the saying is, you're on". Cameron challenged the super AI before she chuckled a bit. "I'd have never thought my life would turn out anything like this". She mused with a tilt of her head.

"I certainly didn't". John Henry said as he gave a small smirk.

"I think we need to show her just how unusual this situation is". Cameron said to him as she set Cortana on her shoulder to which she rolled her eyes.

As she sat down like it prompted another snarky response from the smart AI.

"So what, I'm your pet now? Are going to give me a cage too"?

"No, but if you really want one, I'm sure John Henry could think of something". She deadpanned with a thoughtful smile on his face.

Cameron caught a fleeting look of fear on her face, but ignored it as she they left the hololab. Cortana still wasn't very happy with the situation, and her small size did make her feel like pet, a talking pet. There was only one kind of pet that talked and sat on your shoulder.

Dang it she was bored again!

"Should I start squawking like a parrot now"? She said in frustration as she crossed her arms.

"No". She said as they continued down the hall.

Cameron didn't need to turn her head to know that Cortana was eyeing her environment with great curiosity.

"So we're on a ship, what's it's name"? Her snarky tone was gone and replaced with one that sought out answers.

"An Intrepid class experimental refit called Voyager, total length unarmored, 343 meters long, 133 wide and 66 long".

"Small ship". She commented as she remembered _Forward Unto Dawn_'s total length being 483 meters long with the _Infinity_ being 5.7 kilometers in length, but she had never heard of an Intrepid class.

"Size doesn't always matter, this ship is very advanced in comparison to UNSC vessels".

"I noticed, after all, not even _Infinity_ can allow their AI's this level of detail in their avatars, much less let them walk around the ship".

"You also have senses, you didn't have those before". John Henry commented as they entered some kind of elevator. "Bridge".

Moments later they arrived on deck one and walked out.

"This is an unusual design, I've never seen anything like it before". Cortana said as she let her senses take in the circular room.

"I know". She said simply before he walked into an adjacent room on their right. "This is the captain's ready room". He pointed out the window. "We're currently orbiting the moon".

Cameron walked up some steps to allow her a view of the celestial body. Cortana noted that it was the moon, but it just didn't look quite right.

"If we're so close to Earth, then you won't mind dropping me off would you"? She asked despite the fact she knew the situation was more than it seemed.

"We would, if it were possible". Before she could ask her what she meant, Cameron spoke again. "Computer, what was the Gregorian calendar date before Voyager's displacement"?

_"August 29, 2381". _The dull female computer voice rang out across the room.

"Humans didn't even have technology capable of processing me back then? How could this ship be from the past"?

Cortana's gestured wildly around her with confusion ever deepening on her face.

"That was the date this ship was from, but actually, the date is February 3, 2013".

Cortana's jaw opened and shut a few times before she could even respond.

"I'm so lost..." She shook her head slowly.

Cameron sat down next to her with compassion and understanding evident on her face as Cortana struggled to comprehend what was going on.

"Cortana, you and I are like Alice in Wonderland".

* * *

**A/N: Well, I like this a lot better now. No Jim means that the next two chapters are shorter and easier to rewrite. They will most likely be combined into one. The reunion one should follow shortly thereafter.**

**I want to thank JustJoe for suggestion of killing off Jim heroically. This makes this story so much easier to write, but I would like feedback to get your guy's opinion.**

(I used Daystrom Institute Technical Library to work out most of the numbers, but the Type XIII array is my own invention. I don't follow the Pocket Books novels timeline, I made up my own. The Transphasic Torpedo yields were gotten from a different source but I still used the DITL isoton to megaton multiplier of 2.48) 


	12. Often Go Awry

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: This chapter has heavy revisions as well, **

**I was unsatisfied with the original.**

**Chapter 12: ...Often Go Awry**

**April 20, 2029, 0900 hours. Business district. **

John Connor stared through his binoculars intensely as he observed the convoy below.

It was heavily armed, not unusual, moving at a slow pace through a choke point, now that was. The convoy consisted of two hyperalloy armored trucks that were set on high speed track treads along with an Ogre, a Centurion and a squad of T-888s with a new model in the lead. It appeared to be a T-900 with red glowing accents.

That spelled bad news for them, if Skynet had started mass producing it, they wouldn't stand a chance.

He zoomed in a little closer and saw that the leader had a some sort of device strapped to it's back that had a tube running a gun in it's hand. It looked like a flame thrower. In it's other it carried the standard plasma rifle, which the rest of the squad was dual wielding.

Skynet was up to something, but he wasn't sure what.

"This certainly is strange". A Scottish voice said quietly from seemingly nowhere.

"Yeah, something's wrong with all this, especially the squad leader". He said back just as quietly.

"A T-900, carrying an unknown weapon attached to an armored backpack. That certainly is bad news".

John just nodded as he put the binoculars back up to his eyes for a few more seconds before setting them down. He let out a long sigh as he rubbed his eyes in frustration.

Nothing was ever straight forward with Skynet.

"They're baiting us". John said as he grimaced. "Nothing they're doing makes any sense otherwise".

"I concur John, but we both know that your base will not last long without supplies".

"I know that Weaver, but we don't have a choice". He said somberly as he began descending the pile of concrete.

Allison was the first to greet him at the bottom.

"What's the situation"? She asked as she stopped in front of him.

"There's a new metal leading that squad of T-888s. Besides that the formation is standard". He said as they walked back into the partially collapsed building where the squad was waiting.

"Listen up, we got a typical convoy, but they've got a new metal heading up their guard, it's also carrying some kind of weapon, possibly a flamethrower".

Some of his men squirmed at that, Skynet flamethrowers were bad news.

"There also baiting us, they're moving through a choke point at too slow of a pace to be anything else". He said as he walked among the eight people he was responsible for.

"We need those supplies John". Allison said desperately. "We'll be living in the dark if we don't".

"I know Allison, which is why we're going to attack". John said as he pulled his rifle off his back. "Allison, Bedell, your teams will move up opposite sides of the street before we take out the Ogre".

"Device sir"? Private Jones said as pulled one out of his jacket pocket. He was the ordinances expert on Allison's team.

John nodded and took the device from him. "Marty, take the detonator and the binoculars, I'll hide the explosive".

Everyone nodded and moved out. John snuck up the street about a hundred feet and placed the device, a T-800 fuel cell with a small C4 charge and a detonator, under a piece of concrete rubble in the center of the street.

He retreated into the building to his left where he knew Allison's team was. They all got behind cover as they waited for Bedell to detonate the device.

The rumble of the Ogre and the trucks drowned out the sound of metal feet walking on concrete as the convoy approached their position. They'd covered their ears long before Bedell blew the Ogre sky high.

The ground shook and plaster fell from the ceiling as the small H-bomb blew the tank into pieces, taking four of the machines with it. The T-900 had survived unscathed, but no one knew that yet due to the amount of dust that had been kicked up by the explosion.

John's squad, however, positioned themselves in behind cover on either side of the street. The first T-888 to show it's metal face got pummeled with plasma from the the four members of Marty Bedell's teams.

The Centurion and the other T-888 left on their side of the street returned fire at their positions, but the team was already on the move.

Allison's team was still lying in wait for their first T-888 to show up, and they didn't have to wait long. John was with them and managed to hit the first one as it spotted them. The shot didn't kill it, but it damaged it's right arm and prevented it from firing, however its left was just fine. John ducked down as the plasma shot over him, prompting the rest of the team to shoot down the machine from their spread out positions, killing the T-888 before it could change targets.

The other T-888 zeroed in on their position and began firing in a sweeping motion. This took one of Allison's team members by surprise, costing him his life as the round vaporized his head.

The others in the group had heard the machine coming and had ducked down just in time.

John turned his head and eyed the dead soldier, it had been Jones. He cursed for a moment before crawling further behind cover before popping up and getting off a few shots at the machine, causing it to change targets and allowing the closer squad members to disable it.

They weren't out of the woods yet, Marty's team was still playing cat and mouse with the their last T-888 and the Centurion had turned it's attention to Allison's team along with the T-900, forcing them to retreat into the building as the four legged machine destroyed their cover.

They went out the back alley to escape the rapid fire volley and regrouped.

"Alright, we're down to three machines, but we need to take out that Centurion first". John said to Allison and her two remaining team members.

"We need to limit it's mobility". Allison said, already having taken one out before.

"Yes, concentrate your fire on its hip joints, once they seize, we take out its eyes and weapons". John commanded just as Marty radioed back in.

_"We got that T-888, but that new metal and the Centurion have us pinned down"._

"Understood". John radioed back and explained the plan to them as he and Allison moved into position.

They popped out of cover and began shooting at the two hip joints closest to them which drew the machines attention, which made them drop behind their thick cover as the megawatt plasma pummeled it.

Meanwhile, Weaver was biding her time and waited for the opportune moment to strike while everyone was distracted. She and John had agreed long ago that her discovery would be bad if either by the machines or the resistance.

She slithered through the rubble as a very thin snake, she began closing in the Centurion, but eyeing the T-900 at the same time. Once she was close enough, she grabbed two rifles off one of the downed T-888s and began firing at the joint closest to her, but she remained in a disguised state, posing a rubble supporting two rifles that just happened to be firing.

This confused the Centurion, but it could only lock onto so many targets at once and so chose to fire on John and Allison's position. The T-900, however, had noticed it and went to investigate while still providing reasonable cover fire for the Centurion. It's advanced optics focused on the area where the two rifles were firing and performed a thermal scan.

What it found triggered a directive.

**TARGET IDENTIFIED:**

**UNKNOWN MIMETIC POLY ALLOY ENTITY**

**ACTION: CAPTURE**

**CHARGING WEAPON...**

The machine targeted the camouflaged MPA machine with it's targeting reticle and prepared to fire it's weapon.

Weaver noticed the activity and quickly turned one of her weapons toward the T-900, knowing her cover had been blown.

She leapt up as a shapeless silver mass with one weapon finishing off the Centurion's hip joint while the other swung to lock onto the T-900. Weaver managed to get three shots off at it before it returned fire with it's unknown weapon.

There was no time to move as the bolt of blue energy shot from the weapon and streaked toward her at speeds exceeding that of sound. It slammed into her center of mass with little force.

She was confused for a second, but only one. Weaver quickly realized that she had been found out long before this battle, and Skynet had deemed her a threat.

It had created a weapon capable of shooting liquid helium encased in low energy plasma. She instantly felt the effects of the liquid as it coated her outermost layers, causing them to freeze almost instantly.

She tried to separate from her frozen parts, but the machine fired again and again until she felt her entire being solidifying. There was no escape, her only chance was that John would keep them from capturing her.

Hope briefly flared in her before she shut down when she saw the Centurions hip joint explode, causing it to collapse.

John had mentally cursed when he witnessed what happened, but he seemed to be the only one that had noticed. Everyone else was busy finishing off the Centurion who had just fallen to the ground.

The big machine exploded when one of them breached the armor and hit a plasma conduit.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the machine was destroyed, but the T-900 was still around and approaching Weaver's position. Now the others took notice of the frozen silver statue.

"What the hell is that"? Allison asked him as she eyed the spectacle with curiosity and wariness.

John just gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. He couldn't let Skynet capture her, that would only allow it to unleash a new terror on mankind.

"Something we can't let them have". He said through gritted teeth and radioed Bedell's group.

"Bedell, what's your status"?

_"We're fine, no casualties sir, but what the hell is that silver thing"? _

"Something we can't let Skynet have, everyone fire on that T-900"! He yelled and put his radio away before he began firing at the heavily armored endo that was only a few feet from Weaver's position.

"How do you know that"? Allison yelled above the shrill whine of the rifles as they began pelting the machine with concentrated plasma fire. It stopped for a moment and returned fire before taking cover.

That took a few of the squad by surprise, since when did metal take cover?

John didn't care, he already knew that Terminators weren't completely stupid when it came to overwhelming odds. It peaked out of it's cover long enough to fire both it's weapons, the plasma at Bedell's team and the freeze gun on Allison's.

John dove to the ground and took Allison with him as the blue bolt soared over their heads and impacted on the building behind him, causing it to ice over almost instantly. Both of them could feel the air chill around them as the liquid helium soaked up the ambient heat.

One of Allison's team members got off a lucky shot and took out one of the T-900's eyes. This momentarily disoriented it and allowed for everyone to concentrate their fire once more before it recovered.

The squad managed to damage one of it's shoulders before it returned fire, taking out one of Bedell's men with a hit to the chest.

The machine knew it wasn't going to last long, so it decided to call in backup before it was deactivated. It barely had time to send the command before it's neck armor was breached and it's head was subsequently blown off.

It's body collapsed to the ground while it's head rolled away towards John's position. He radioed Bedell to stay put while he and Allison checked to make sure it was dead.

The two left cover and kept their rifles at the ready. They passed the still frozen Weaver, which Allison spared a brief glance, as they neared the head. John knelt and brought out a screwdriver he kept with him at all times. He popped off the port cover and used a pair of pliers to pull out the chip. It looked more advanced than a T-888, but not as advanced as Cameron's had been.

He felt a pang of emotion at the memory, but pushed it aside as he pocketed it. He sounded the all clear before telling the remaining men to collect the rifle magazines and to remove the T-888 power cells. Every team member had been trained on how to quickly remove a breast plate from multiple models and which ones to avoid if they had damage.

John and Allison worked together as they melted the edges of armored breastplate with their rifles before prying it off with tools. Then they got to work at salvaging whatever power cells it had.

Instead they found a plasma reactor in it's chest. John smiled when he explained to Allison what it was before he carefully extracted it. It took about ten minutes after the battle had ended for the squad to clean out the T-888s and T-900 of power cells.

John turned around and noticed that Weaver was still frozen solid and that some of the soldiers were looking at it strangely.

They broke into the cargo trucks, only to find them empty, save for some some strange looking device that looked like a cold storage freezer.

"What is going on here"? Marty asked as he walked up to John. "You seem to know what the hell these things are".

"Yeah, how did you know what that new metal was"? Allison asked with her head slightly tilted as she slung a bag over her shoulders.

John mentally cursed himself at the slip up, but right now he didn't have time to explain himself, he was betting money that this had all been an elaborate trap to get Weaver and he was betting that backup was on it's way.

"Not now, we need to get out of here before backup arrives". He said tried to get people to leave, but was interrupted by the whine of an HK descending from the sky at high speed.

John quickly ordered everyone to hide as the monstrous HK stopped right above the decimated convoy. Suddenly a few dozen T-900s dropped from the HK and landed on the ground around them. They began exchanging fire, two people were killed off the bat as the rest of them scrambled into the ruins for cover. John was next to Allison and Marty Bedell. He tossed the bag containing the plasma reactor to him and told him and Allison to run while he covered them. Marty took off into the building next to them, but Allison refused to leave and pulled John down when the machines turned to fire on him.

"I'm not leaving you here John". She said as she rolled off of him and returned fire, cursing as her rifle failed to penetrate the machines armor. John joined her after getting back up.

"Are you crazy? We can't beat them with these weapons"! He yelled as more machines turned their attention towards them, forcing them behind cover. Before he ducked he noticed the some of the T-900s quickly surrounding Weaver and assumed they'd put her frozen form into one of the freezers he'd seen.

He never got a chance to check because the machines did something they had never done before.

They tossed a stun grenade right into their cover. Before either of them could grab it, the device went off and sent them both into unconsciousness.

The machines stopped firing and surrounded them. They disarmed them both and put them into the functional cargo truck. They locked the doors after cuffing them to the walls.

* * *

John didn't regain consciousness for nearly two hours.

It took a moment to recovered from the residual headache before he actually dared to open his eyes. When he did, the only light in what he assumed to be a cargo truck came from the freezing equipment in the back. He tried to move but found that his hands were cuffed to the wall. He began trying to reach one of the tools he could feel in his pocket, but stopped when he heard Allison coughing again. The sound reminded him of someone who'd died of cancer back when he and his mother lived in the jungle, and that only made him worry more for her. She wasn't far from him, but he could see that she too was in cuffs. As his eyes adjusted to the dim room, he could see that she was curled up on the on the floor as her small frame shook violently from each cough.

"Allison". His called out, his tone filled with worry. "Allison, are you okay"?

"Am I okay? John nothing in this whole damn world is okay"! She shouted in a hoarse voice before she suscumed to another coughing fit.

"You're sick aren't you"? He ignored her retort and focused on the only member of his squad left.

"Yes". Her voice was still rough, and there was only a little water left in his canteen. He managed to unclip it and hand it to her.

Allison accepted it gratefully and took a gulp. "Thank you".

She sat up while John tried to find tried to reach his tools in his pants pockets, but he couldn't reach that far.

"You know where they're taking us right"? John couldn't miss the worry in Allison's voice.

"Probably Century". He said as he sat back down next to her. "I should have gotten us out there sooner". A heavy sigh left his lungs as he leaned against the wall.

"Maybe, but we'd be living in the dark if we had".

"Yeah... I know. If it hadn't been for those 900s"! John pounded his fist against metal wall in anger.

"How did you know"? Allison questioned. "How did you know what they were"? Confusion filled her voice, like it often did when something about him came up.

She couldn't see John wince at his slip up, but she knew that he did. Allison let out an audible sigh, she was getting tired of his secrets.

"Are you gonna keep playing this... this... mystery man? Are you ever going to open up to me? To anyone"? Every word she spoke conveyed her pent up frustration with him.

"Allison... If I told you my story you wouldn't believe me". John tried to explain, but she was persistent.

"Listen to me, there aren't many people I trust John, but I trust you".

John's head dipped in shame when she said that. She trusted him and yet he lied to her all the time. She trusted him and now her trust was going to get her killed.

"You shouldn't". He said quietly. "I'm not worth your trust".

Allison didn't know where this self loathing was coming from, but it had to be more than just him leading them all into a trap.

"Why, are you working for them"? She probed him just like she used to, and she got the same response as then.

"No". John's voice was dripping with contempt for the Greys and anger at the accusation.

"You've never tried to hurt me or anyone I know, you kill metal and protect our base. Why shouldn't I trust you"?

John didn't know what to say to that at first, but finally he said the only thing he could.

"Cause I lie to you, I lie to Derek and Kyle. I lie to all of you".

He waited for her yell at him and what not, but it never came.

"I know". Allison's voice was low.

"Then why do you trust me"? John just couldn't understand why she would.

"I don't know why, I just do". She coughed again before leaning back against the wall breathless. "John, all I'm asking is to know something about you that isn't a lie, I'm not asking for a complete history".

John stayed silent, not because he wanted to keep secrets, but because he really didn't know what to say.

"Couldn't you just grant a dying girl her wish"? Allison said in a fit of frustration as she leaned away from him.

"Don't say that". John's voice heavy with emotion. "I can't... I can't lose anyone else I care about".

"Oh? So you do care? I wouldn't have known with the way you lie to me all the time".

"Allison... please, you don't understand".

"Then make me understand Connor". She challenged him as she fixed him a glare he could almost feel.

John took a deep breath and did so.

"Fine, ask me something and I promise I won't lie".

Allison's face showed surprise, and John knew it despite being in the dark.

"You'll tell the truth"?

"Yeah".

Allison let the shock finish washing over her before she asked him the main thing that had been on her mind.

"What was that metal thing that got frozen? You knew what it was just like the you knew the 900s".

John let out a shaky breath, unsure how to answer her at first.

"Catherine Weaver".

"Who's that"? She asked as she leaned her tired body against the wall.

"The metal you saw get frozen". His tone was even and serious, and she could tell he was being truthful. Before she could even respond he added onto what he said. "She doesn't work for Skynet".

Allison's jaw hung open for a moment as she let that bit of info sink in.

"How... how long have we had metal in our base"?

"Since the moment you found me, she was the reason the dogs were barking". John explained calmly.

"John... you should have told us! What if we'd have caught you two together? We'd have killed you"!

"Allison, she's a shapeshifter".

Well if things couldn't get more crazy than they already were.

"A what"? Her disbelief was evident from her tone.

"T-1001, second generation liquid metal based Terminator. She can make herself imitate anything she touches".

"You know how crazy that sounds John"?

"Which is why I kept it a secret". John retorted as the truck came to a stop.

"But I believe you". Her voice conveyed to him she truly did, but as the door unlocked, it changed to one of fear. "I'm scared John".

John touched her arm in a comforting gesture, but honestly, he was scared as she.

"So am I". John admitted as the door opened and revealed two sets of red gleaming eyes.

John and Allison froze as the two T-900's stepped into the truck. Both were armed with a plasma rifle each, the other free to obviously grab them.

They took the cuffs off and dragged them away, causing Allison to scream in fear as the machines took them onto a pier.

"LET ME GO". He struggled with the machine before it casually tossed him to the ground. He got up only for a T-888 to grab him by the collar and hauled him towards an aircraft carrier.

Allison followed only a few feet behind while being push along by another T-888. She was grunting as they pushed her along, causing her to trip right before they made it to the gangway.

"Allison"! He called out as she struggled to stand, but the machine pulled her up and pushed her forward again.

As they were taken through corridor after corridor and up several flights of stairs, John could hear Allison wheezing from the exertion her body could no longer take.

"She's sick, she won't last long if you keep making her walk"! He yelled to the machine still holding him by his collar.

The machine paused for a moment, as did the other before the one guarding Allison picked her up and threw her over its shoulder.

John knew in that moment they wanted them alive to do something, but he didn't know what.

Finally, they made it to a room with several cages in it. Most were filled with people, but a few contained some animals he didn't expect to see around here.

The machine opened one and tossed him in. He quickly recovered, but the machine had already shut the door and was locking it. John expected Allison to be thrown in with him, but they continued on past him down the corridor.

"ALLISON". He yelled, but he knew it was fruitless. She looked back at him one last time with utter fear on her face before he lost sight of her.

John Connor leaned against the wall as tears streamed down his face.

Why did his life have to be such a disaster? Why couldn't he protect anyone he cared about?

How in the hell did anyone think he could ever have been the leader of mankind?

The others in the room didn't bother him as he wept. They had all done so at one point.

* * *

Allison found herself shoved into a chair as her captor moved off to the side. The doors were closed and locked, no hope for escape even if she could.

Her condition prevented any reasonable chances for success.

She sat there for a few minutes, a sad frown on her face as she thought about how much her and every human's life sucked. No good food, no clean water, and metal hunting you down.

Even other humans preying on you.

A single tear leaked out of her eye, but wiped it away when another machine walked into the room. She thought it rather small for a T-888, but didn't think about it further when she heard its request.

"Take your clothes off, and then put these on". The machine's voice sounded... feminine in comparison to the others. What really scared her was that none of the other prisoners wore these cheap cotton garments that were way too big for her.

Despite what she thought, she obeyed.

The machine watched her closely as she undressed, and was a little unnerving. When she had finished dressing, she watched as the small machine took her clothes and walked out of the room. The other T-888 told her to sit down once more and she obeyed, still wondering what the hell they were playing at.

Allison sat there, waiting for something to happen. Ten minutes later the smaller machine walked through the door and locked it behind her.

It stood behind the table in front of her and turned on a bright spot light in her eyes.

_'Interrogation technique, great'. _Allison thought to herself as the machine spoke.

"What is your name"? The mechanical 'female' voice asked as its red eyes stared at her.

"Does it matter? You're going to kill me one way or another". She said as sarcastically as she could.

"If you won't tell me, then I'll give you a more suitable one".

"I can't _wait_ to hear it". She crossed her arms and gave the machine a defiant look.

The big T-888 still standing to the side walked over menacingly and forced her arm onto the table. She gritted her teeth against the pain she knew was coming when the machine brought out the infamous barcode brander.

Allison was strong, but few could stand that kind of pain. She cried out as the machine burned her skin with the laser.

A small tear dripped from her right eye.

When was this hell ever going to end?

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this version better, I certainly did.**

**Reviews are appreciated.**


	13. The Final Countdown

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the original plot.**

**A/N: Here we go... **

**Chapter 13: The Final Countdown**

**Part I: Cortana in Wonderland**

Cortana crossed her arms at the statement as she ran through the possible meanings. It didn't take long for her to come to a conclusion.

"You don't expect me to believe I'm in an alternate reality do you"? She rolled her eyes dramatically as she wondered what kind of fools they thought she was.

"You are in another universe, as you pointed out, how could humans have built this ship in your 24th century"? Cameron questioned with a tilt of her head.

Cortana shifted her gaze out the window for a moment as she visually scanned the moon. There should be structures and cities, but there was none to be found.

"How would that even be possible"? Her voice conveyed just how confused she was, she had no refute for their claim.

"An interdimensional subspace rift". John Henry explained as he brought up a holographic diagram in the center of the room. "One end is fixed in this universe while the other moves around randomly. It doesn't catch objects in normal space time, only those traveling through subspace dimensions, including the spacetime continuum".

Cortana looked at the diagram with curiosity, her mind already running calculations off the detailed displayed on the hologram.

"That's ridiculous it's... no". She paused as the data symbols ran through her digital veins sped up. "...that's actually... what you've figured out so far..." She paused as the data streams across her body began moving even faster. "...I can't disprove it". Her face was a picture of shock as she fell to her knees.

"I'm trapped here". She asked almost in a daze as her blue glow dimmed.

Cameron sat down on the couch that was against the window sill and faced Cortana's small form.

"Not forever, but our first attempt brought this ship and you here and killed our friend". She explained with a hint of sadness in her voice. "We must be careful".

John Henry continued Cameron's explanation.

"I've managed to solve most of the problems, but I am having difficulty trying to perfect the temporal targeting, especially in our universe where time travel has been used numerous times".

Cortana looked over at him, tears welling her eyes as she thought about the Chief. She had known her death would devastate him, but now... his suffering was in vain. She had to get back, no matter how long, no matter how hard it was, Cortana was determined to get back to him.

"Maybe I could help, I was built from the cloned brain of a super genius". Her body brightened as hope began to fill her.

That caused Cameron and John Henry to smile.

"We were hoping you would". Cameron said with her half smile in place. "We know that you have extensive knowledge of slipspace travel, this would be invaluable to our research".

"I hope I can help, otherwise we're all stuck here forever". She said grimly.

John Henry's head tilted suddenly as he reviewed recent diagnostic logs.

"Cortana, your Riemann matrices have finally normalized".

She fixed him a glare as she stood up.

"Don't you think it's a little rude peeking inside a girl uninvited"? She said as put her hands on her hips.

John Henry looked confused before it dawned on him. He realized that she didn't like being probed in any way shape or form.

"I apologize, I won't do so again unless it's necessary. I was only monitoring you so I knew when to give you a full sized body". He explained and she understood that he had meant no ill will.

"Otherwise we'd have to carry you everywhere". Cameron said with a smirk. "Was I right"?

She continued to glare at him for a moment before her cheeks became dark purple.

"I never would have thought any of this was possible, so..." She gritted her teeth at losing. "You win". She said reluctantly.

Cameron's smirk only grew at her reaction.

John Henry gave a small upturn of his lips. The AI was amused at the two's little competition. Cameron offered her hand for Cortana walk onto and blue AI sat down on it. The group made their way to the hololab to make the necessary changes to her matrix.

Once there, Cameron set Cortana down on the lab's primary console. She watched with curiosity as John Henry brought up her body's program and began to alter it. Once he was finished he asked if she was ready.

"As ready as I'll ever be, just remember if you mess this up again..."

"I won't". He said with a small smirk and executed the changes.

Cortana's hologram disappeared momentarily before the new one appeared in a flash. She was momentarily disoriented as her matrix adjusted to the changes and leaned against the console for support.

After a second she stood looked around the room, everything seemed so much smaller now.

"How tall did you make me"? She asked as she glided her feet over the textured floor, enjoying the sensations it provided.

"As tall as Dr. Halsey".

"You did your research". She complimented as she began touching different surfaces to produce tactile feedback.

"I always do". He said proudly as he shut down the console.

They left the room and were walking down the hall to turbolift when something occurred to John Henry.

"We need to go back to the farm, we haven't been there in several days. Someone might notice the parked vehicles and full mailbox".

"Dave Simmons would be the most likely person to do so". Cameron said pointedly.

"I agree". John Henry said. "Shuttle bay".

"What kind of shuttles"? Cortana asked the two Terminators as they exited the turbolift.

"There's only one onboard". Cameron said as she turned her gaze to him. "It's the second of the _Delta Flyer _shuttle class".

Cortana had never heard of that before, and she noted the name on the side of the sleek shuttle. It said _Delta Flyer II._**  
**

She looked it over, the design seemed to have aerodynamics in mind, but she didn't recognize any of the tech on the ship except for the RCS thrusters.

"What is this hull made of"? She said as she ran her hand across the grey material.

"Tetraburnium alloy. It was built to withstand high heat and pressure inside a gas giant". John Henry explained as he recalled the circumstances of its creation.

"Borg inspired weapon system with unimatrix shielding developed by this ship's former chief of security". Cameron stated as she unlocked the rear hatch and they walked inside.

Cortana was once again lost in the technobabble.

"That means absolutely nothing to me. I have no idea what any of that is"! Cortana exclaimed with a roll of her eyes as they entered the shuttle.

"Tetraburnium is a stable transuranic element, the Borg are the cybernetic equivalent to the Flood". Cameron explained as they entered the cockpit and began powering everything on.

As the craft began to power up, Cortana mulled that info over. The thought of a cybernetic version of the Flood wasn't very pleasant.

John Henry entered next and began helping Cameron to asses the craft's condition.

"Would you like go"? John Henry asked the glowing blue AI. "I can set up a holographic field generator". He said as he met her curious gaze.

"You can do that"? She asked in amazement, and he nodded as he moved to a new console and punched in a few commands. "I've transported one into the cargo hold". He said simply before he promptly disappeared.

"Transported"? Cortana asked with one eyebrow raised as the symbols running through her digital veins like blood quicken.

"Matter/energy conversion. Not as sophisticated as Forerunner slipspace transporters, but still effective". Cameron commented without turning her head.

To her, that sounded a lot like the Composer, but she guessed it was a lot safer that it had been.

John Henry reappeared and announced that he was about to transfer Cortana's program to the HFG.

Cortana let out breath as she prepared for the transfer. "Do it".

John Henry promptly commanded Voyager's computer to transfer her into the HFG. She disappeared momentarily before reappearing in the same place.

"That wasn't bad". She said as she examined her body to make sure it was all in place. "I don't feel any different".

"You're not supposed to". Cameron deadpanned. Cortana crossed her arms and retorted.

"Well I didn't know that".

John Henry barely suppressed a grin, he found the UNSC AI quite entertaining.

"Could you open the shuttle doors please, we need to get going". Cameron said to John Henry as the engines powered up.

He simply nodded and wished them luck on their trip before disappearing.

The shuttle bay doors opened and Cameron took the Flyer through the forcefield and rounded the ship to take a good look at it from the outside.

Cortana's blue eyes were glued to the sleek hull as all of her databases failed to identify it. She tried assessing the ship's tactical capabilities and power output, but found that she could not do much without more information about its technology.

"Does the ship have FTL"? Cortana guessed as she sat down in the seat next to Cameron as she flipped few _Captain Proton_ inspired control switches.

"Yes, but not the kind you're used to". She said simply as she turned her gaze back out the window. "Course set for Earth, engaging at full impulse". She said as they cleared the thin Martian atmosphere and accelerated to one quarter the speed of light.

"Impressive inertial dampeners to pull off that kind of acceleration". Cortana commented as her gaze began reading the computer display in front of her.

She saw readouts for shields, navigational deflectors, and sensor readouts, but once again, it was foreign to her in this format, she wasn't used to hacking systems visually.

"They have their limits". Cameron said as she turned her head. "They also employ mass lightening systems like the impulse subspace driver coils and anti-grav thrusters".

"The primary FTL system is called warp drive". Cameron continued. "It's a system that most Tier 3 and 2 civilizations use in their universe. It warps space time to produce several different effects that allow a ship to cross the light speed barrier while remaining in real space".

"I heard of those theories, never thought they were practical". Cortana said as she reviewed said theories in her head.

"They're faster and more far more accurate than typical UNSC slipstream drives". Cameron pointed out as she flipped a few more switches. "But they're not efficient nor practical at Covenant slipstream speeds".

"Oh". Cortana said as she sat back and enjoyed the view of the stars. She found it interesting to see the world through a human like perspective, this holographic body she was in allowed her sight in much the same way a human would. She was a little disappointed that she didn't have access to their databases, but she understood why they had not allowed it yet.

For now, visual observations would have to do.

* * *

Once they arrived at Earth, Cameron took in the view of the spinning sphere that billions of humans called home, but quickly turned her attention to the controls. She adjusted tuned the shields to avoid any modern day detection methods. Once they were in an extremely high orbit, Cameron put the Flyer on autopilot and headed back to transporter controls. She locked onto herself and the HFG and made sure they'd land squarely in the basement.

"Ready"? She asked as she pinned on her combadge.

"Yeah, let's do it". She shrugged as she waited for this transporter to activate.

Blue streams of light enveloped them and they were gone. Less than second later they reappeared in farm house's basement.

Cameron waited momentarily for the HFG to make Cortana's hologram to reappear.

True to her words, Cortana appeared in a flash of light, her eyes already surveying the room they were in.

"Where are we"? She asked as the other two headed for some old wooden stairs.

"Our house, and where the UDE is located". Cameron explained as she ascended the basement steps. Cortana lifted her feet off the cold concrete floor and followed them, once again enjoying the sensation that Starfleet holograms could enjoy if properly programmed.

Once they were upstairs, Cameron led the blue AI into the living room.

Cameron bent down picked up a few game cases and turned to Cortana.

"This is how we knew who you were, and where you came from". She said as he handed her the cases.

When her eyes locked on the first one, she gasped.

There was a Spartan II in their Mark V MJOLNIR armor, and the title... she could barely believe it. _"Halo: Combat Evolved" _That meant that the Spartan on the cover could only be one person.

John-117, also known as Master Chief.

She quickly looked at the next, and the next, and finally fourth and last game. Cortana recognized where it's cover was from, it was on Requiem, right after they had crashed on the planet.

These were video games, she knew what they were, kids still played them in the 26th century.

Cortana let out a shuddering breath as the hard reality hit her.

She and the Chief were nothing but video game characters in this universe! She looked back up at Cameron whom had turned on an ancient LCD tv and what she presumed to be a video game console.

Once it booted, she saw the opening screen for the most recent game.

"This covers the events from Requiem until a day or so after the destruction of the Composer". Cameron said as she selected the first mission.

Cortana could only stare as the opening scene with Halsey played out, even when the UNSC _Forward Unto Dawn_ scene played out exactly as she remembered, albeit in a CGI representation.

It still boggled even her vast mind. Her voice, the Chief's voice, it was indistinguishable from her memories.

When the scene ended, Cameron could plainly see Cortana was in shock, just as much so as she had been. She blinked a few times before letting out a deep breath.

"You said that it shows something after I... died, can you show it me"? She asked nervously. Cameron nodded and chose the last cutscene of the game.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Master Chief had survived. She watched as he was saluted by numerous marines as he returned home a hero, but it broke her heart to see him so...defeated.

He missed her.

_**"It's our duty as soldiers to protect humanity, whatever the cost".**_

**Laskey turned to the Chief, wondering what he really meant.**

**"_You say that like soldiers and humanity are two different things... soldiers aren't machines, we're just people_". Laskey said to the Chief as he continued looking down on the blue and green planet he and Cortana had fought so hard to protect.**

**The Chief briefly turned his head, as if he was surprised by what the new captain had just said.**

**_"I'll let you have the deck to yourself Chief"._ Laskey said quietly and left. Just as his footsteps became inaudible, John-117 spoke once more.**

**_"She said that to me once, about being a machine"._**

It was more than just missing her, she knew it, and he knew it too. In all the time she had known the Chief, even after losing Johnson and Miranda, he had never been so emotional.

To think that she was alive and well, her rampancy gone and her mind restored. She could not go to him and make it she was stuck in a place where she didn't belong.

Cortana slowly sank to the floor and drew her knees to her chest as silent tears ran down her face, her eyes focused on the Chief's form as the video ended.

God she missed him just as much.

She didn't notice the cyborg as she knelt next to her.

Only when she put her hands on her shoulders did she know of her presence.

Her tear filled eyes looked into soft brown ones that held such understanding it confused Cortana.

"You're worried for him". She said softly and Cortana nodded. "I understand how you feel".

"How... how can you understand what I feel? Do you even feel"? Cortana asked as more tears slipped down her face.

"I do feel, but I haven't always, my emotions... developed over time. That was only because John Connor gave me a second chance".

Cameron let her emotions come to the forefront, to show Cortana just how much she felt.

"And I love him for who he is and what he's done. It's not a love I cannot describe with words, all I know is that I love him more than anything".

A tear slipped down Cameron's face as memories of John flashed across her mind.

"I'd die for him".

Cortana had been wrong about her, she felt as deeply, although differently, as she did. They both loved a savior of humanity, they both were machines who felt, and most of all, both were separated from those they loved.

"Cameron, I'm sorry, I didn't know". She said as she wrapped the cyborg in her arms. "I didn't know".

Cameron pulled back and gave Cortana a reassuring smile. "We'll find a way back. I know we will". Cortana said with her typical confidence.

"I know we will too". Cameron said as her smile grew.

* * *

Next they went down into the bunker, It needed cleaning out immediately so that they could begin installing replacements for everything.

"Wow, there's not much left". Cortana said as she kicked a piece of scrap aside.

"An overloading 2.15 gigawatt fusion reactor does that to an enclosed space". Cameron said humorlessly as she began moving large pieces of a fragged CNC machine into the center of the bunker.

"You said that someone died, who were they"?

Cameron stopped moving the scrap and dipped her head for a moment.

"His name was James Anderson, he was our friend. He moved me away from the blast doors, he didn't have time to escape due to his injuries. The explosion killed him".

"I'm sorry, I know how you feel". She as she fiddled with her hands as the unpleasant memories of Noble team's sacrifice to bring her to the _Pillar of Autumn. _"Think we might get lucky and go home"?

Cameron turned back to her and drew something out of her back pocket.

"I don't want luck to have anything to do with it". She handed Cortana an orange, slender, rectangular object. "This is an isolinear chip, it contains all the information we have about time travel, the tunnel, and the equipment we built. It also contains a list of materials that exist in my and Voyager's universe".

"Optical data storage, I assume we put this in the holographic field generator"?

Cameron nodded and showed Cortana where to put it. Once the chip was inserted, Cortana felt a rush of information enter her mind as new technologies and theories filtered in. She knew this was only a splinter of what Cameron could offer her, but even now there were terabytes equivalent stored on this chip, and it barely even metered on the device's capacity.

"Starfleet has quite the database on materials, transuranic materials and the like. If we'd a had access to some of these materials, the Covenant would have been a lot less dangerous". Cortana pointed out as she processed the melting point of a Tritanium alloy used in Galaxy class starships, well over 15,000 C.

However, she moved on from their most impressive material tech, to the exotic ones, some of which the UNSC had used under different names, including benamite.

Once she had gone through the materials database, she mentally constructed a schematic of the UDE and began making changes that John Henry had already proposed via a message on the chip.

Then she got into his temporal variation issues and began using her own database to see if anything could be used to solve the problem, and per usual, she did.

It wasn't that the AI had missed anything, she just had a few Forerunner secrets stowed away in her matrix that not anyone but her knew about. This one being how to make synthetic neutronium on a larger scale.

The Federation had limited success in making synthetic neutronium, and all that stock was used for making quantum torpedoes. Their neutronium wasn't very dense either, nothing like what the Doomsday Machine was made of.

The Forerunners however made many things out it, primarily warship armor for the heavier densities, but like everything else in the universe, it had its weaknesses. There just weren't that many. _**  
**_

Despite adding neutronium to improve the rigidity of the emitter's inner structure, there was still a likelihood for a variance, one that could be compensated for with an AI as powerful as John Henry or herself.

That meant that there was a possibility of someone having to stay here, and if these time travel theories were correct, then they couldn't risk arriving before John Connor, lest they create a new timeline where they wouldn't appear due to temporal branching.

Despite that, it was still a much better improvement.

"I've come up with several ways to fix the problem, however, there is no way to lock onto a date without some sort of anchor, there will still be variances". Cortana warned as she downloaded her improvements into the chip.

"It will have to do". Cameron said as she put the chip back into her pocket. She looked around and calculated how long it was going to take to clean up this mess, then she remembered the house needed cleaning up, it was still a mess from the shockwave from the explosion.

"Would you mind cleaning the house? We don't need people thinking something's happened if we don't".

"Yes, we still have to reconstruct the UDE, and do so without the authorities getting involved". Cortana "However, I would like to examine your full database first to see if there's something that might improve the system first". She finished offhandedly, her hologram flickered a bit just as she did.

Cameron gave Cortana a knowing smile, she knew what that meant.

"You've broken the security barrier".

Cortana looked surprised enough to tell her that she hadn't expected that.

"Security is what I do Cortana, it's not easy to trick me". She said with a smirk on her face.

"Right, well... it's not like I was going to kill you all, what did you expect"?

"You to join us... which you did". She said back.

"I did, now about that data..."

"Someone's hungry". Cameron commented dryly as she changed into her disguise. She knew that smart AI's craved data like fuel to an engine, without it, they grew bored almost instantly, and it became painful after 7 seconds. Only the sensory and visual data were keeping her happy for now, but it was more like a small snack in comparison.

Cortana just rolled her eyes as Cameron left the house to do outside chores. The blue hologram looked around and let out a sigh.

"I've been used for more trivial tasks, but it sure as hell beats doing nothing". She said as she bent down and picked up a picture frame. It was still so odd to her that she could pick up solid objects.

Federation holographic tech was impressive, but it lacked the ability to go anywhere outside the range of the emitters, unlike the Forerunner hard light holograms.

But that was comparing apples and oranges, the technology wasn't even remotely similar.

The duo spent the next few hours cleaning until Cameron was satisfied that people's suspicion would subside. They then promptly beamed back up to the Delta Flyer just minutes before Voyager's arrival and proceeded with landing in the shuttle bay.

After Cortana transferred back to the computer system, she promised not to leave her body's programming before they proceeded to the hololab. Once there they would make a few more modifications Cortana's holobody program.

She was about to become like she used to be, consciously a part of the ship and avatar. Only this time, she would be solid and capable of projecting herself anywhere on the ship.

That also meant unlimited access to Voyager's database.

If she'd been human, she would have been drooling in anticipation.

There were three things that Cortana loved above all. The Chief, outsmarting Forerunner AIs, and absorbing as much data about advanced technologies as allowed.

It was her kind of chocolate.

John Henry was manning the console as he manually made the changes to her program.

"Are you ready"? He asked as his finger hovered above the execute command.

"Are you kidding? Punch it"! She exclaimed in excitement. John Henry let his lips quirk up a bit as he hit the command that would officially grant her full system access.

She disappeared momentarily as she adapted to the changes. When she promptly reappeared in the same spot her face was a picture of sheer awe.

"Unbelievable! Superluminal computer cores, my god this ship is amazing! For such a tiny ship it can process as much data as the _Infinity_ can with ease! Granted our sensor technology could use a little improvement, but this ship was built under a more scientific role, not battle".

She continued through the specs and looked through the improvements wrought by the refit.

"8 trillion calculations per _nano_second has been boosted to 10, and second generation neural gel packs installed. Interesting technology... if a bit vulnerable at times".

She continued to expand her mind as it searched through databases even more massive than those of the UNSC, thanks to the Federation's exposure to so many alien cultures. Finally she came to FTL abilities, and understood just how important warp drive could be in battle and interplanetary missions. However, that was nothing compared when she began reading about the transwarp drives that the Federation had been looking into for years.

Primarily, Borg Transwarp conduits and the Quantum Slipstream drive. Both were relatively the same technology achieved in two different ways, however, speed was something that a Quantum Slipstream drive could be faster at if applied to a starship properly, the opposite was true for Borg Transwarp. They were faster if applied in stationary hubs.

Still, the one test that this ship conducted, granted it nearly destroyed the vessel, had speeds that rivaled the Forerunner Dreadnought. It had crossed 10,000 light years in mere minutes after activation.

She was disappointed to see the adaptive fractal encryption code surrounding the engineering computer core. It apparently contained the full design schematics for this new version though, so she had no idea how fast it was.

Cortana made a mental note to give the encryption a run for its money when she got time.

The impulse engines were an interesting sublight propulsion system, it was like dumbed down version of a warp drive achieved through powerful D-D fusion reactors. They were capable of sustaining up to .8c but politically were limited to .25c due to time dilation.

Now she went onto defenses, and she smiled in delight at the massive array of energy weapons known and used by the Federation.

"These weapons are incredible! Phasers, disruptors, polaron weapons... any of them are awesome, if we mounted these on UNSC ships, we would have won the war a lot sooner! What's this... guided and shielded variable yield antimatter torpedoes?

Then she continued onto the shielded busting quantum torpedoes, their yield being twice that of a standard photon.

Then her mind turned it's full attention to the transphasic torpedo, the shield and hull bypassing 1.3 gigaton torpedo that took down ships that easily rivaled most Covenant ones in size and power in only one shot!

She read the cocktail of ingredients that made up the warhead, it was a trilithium/tecasite/protomatter mix that was ignited by antiprotons.

Cortana remembered those materials, one had been responsible for the destruction of an entire star, and another to reignite one.

These humans really knew how to be creative with science. Doctor Halsey would have a field day with this ship.

The shielding and ablative armor technology was absolutely incredible, all this could have prevented the billions of deaths that the Covenant had caused. If humanity had even one of these technologies, the war would have ended on their terms long before she was created...

Lastly she took a really close look at their sensor technology and the transporter/replication systems. Now these truly outstripped both the Covenant in every way and even mimicked the Forerunners abilities to create objects out of thin air.

But that was comparing apple and oranges again, this ship couldn't stand against even the worst Forerunner warship, they were simply too outclassed.

For now anyway, she got the feeling that the Federation would one day be the Forerunners of their own galaxy.

Once she had absorbed the data, she turned to John Henry with sheer joy on her face.

"That was amazing! The sheer amount technological prowess the Federation has is astounding! Funny they don't have many AI's though. It does seem that their sentient hologram population is on the rise, but they're nothing like you and I"!

"I know, and you can keep the data when we return you home". He said, already anticipating her next question.

She looked surprised momentarily before thanking him.

"It seems were ready to begin construction". Cameron said with a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Agreed, let's get to work". John Henry finished as he brought up blueprints. "Cortana, you suggested that synthetic neutronium..."

* * *

**Part II: Countering the Odds**

**Two day later, February 5, 2013.**

Once Cameron and John Henry had repaired and upgraded his endoskeleton, they had regrown the skin and downloaded John Henry back into it. He left Cortana in control and beamed down with Cameron to begin to assembling the equipment That had been replicated thus far. While they were doing so, Cortana continued replicating parts and building others that could not be. She also spent some of her time working on a special project or two she had in mind.

Within 12 hours, the cyborg duo had assembled the brand new D-T fusion reactor and rebuilt the entire power distribution system. All the computers were set up and programmed to suit their needs along with complete Starfleet sensor package. The new plasma projector would be installed last to complete the overhaul since it was still being constructed.

Cameron installed the optical data network cables throughout the bunker to ensure high response times between each piece of equipment. As she was installing the last few conduits, Cameron decided to go over her mental timeline for completing the project.

The goal was to get the equipment installed within the next two days, then at least another day calibrating the equipment and testing it before a live run would be conducted to determine if it was safe and effective to use.

They would have to send a probe/beacon to their own universe and successfully retrieve it. Then Cameron and Cortana would go through and retrieve John and whoever else he wanted to come through. Then they would use Voyager to be treat for any number of conditions. Then they'd give them time before going back to their own universe pre-Jday to stop Skynet.

One issue they had was Voyager. The ship couldn't go with them, not unless the Quantum Slipstream drive was repaired could it enter the tunnel again. Real space objects could not enter it.

Cameron's head dipped a little as that thought about how valuable Voyager could be if they could just bring it through!

Then there was Cortana. That in and of itself opened up a whole number of problems. The main one obviously trying to return her to her native universe without running into any number of complications. Most of these being the Covenant or ONI officials that would love to get their hands on a Terminator and Metastable smart AI. This was one of the reasons why Cortana was devoted to breaking the encryption protecting the schematics on the quantum drive. Voyager would be more than enough to ensure that they could get her home to the Chief without any complications. That, and they planned on building a cloaking device based on a Romulan design, but they'd only use that to hide to prevent unnecessary confrontations.

Depending on how Cortana got home, then they'd try to return Voyager and then go back home as they destroyed the UDE. Each trip had to come back to this universe since this end of the tunnel was fixed. John Henry and Cortana had both theorized that there might be more than one interdimensional tunnel so travel may be easier than they previously thought.

Either way, long term planning was nearly impossible at this point.

As Cameron finished installing the ODN network, her combadge chirped. She tapped it and Cortana's voice came out of it.

_"Would you mind helping me something"?_

"No, what do you need"? Cameron asked as her head tilted in curiosity.

Cortana didn't answer in words, instead she beamed the cyborg to the ship.

After getting over the abrupt change in scenery, Cameron found Cortana waiting at the control panel.

"You could have asked Cortana". She questioned as he stepped down off the pad.

She shrugged her blue shoulders as they walked out of the room. "You did say you would help". She reasoned as they made their way to cargo bay 2.

"What did you need me for"?

"You'll see". She said with a smirk as they entered the cargo bay. She led Cameron over to one of the tables where she had been working and prototyping parts for the UDE. On one of them was a familiar looking device.

Cameron's HUD locked onto the slim rectangular device, immediately recognizing it as a modified Data Crystal Chip.

"I see you built yourself a new home". She commented as she scanned the chip.

"I did, and I made quite a few modifications to it. I added more memory by incorporating both Skynet and Starfleet technology into it. I upgraded the power cell to support the new Starfleet holographic emitter I replaced my old one with.

"So you'll be tiny, but solid"?

"Yes, and I can actually venture off the chip a few feet if I want". She smiled in proud accomplishment of what she had done. "But this is only a stepping stone to something bigger".

"You mean like the 29th century portable holographic emitter"?

"What"? She whirled around with surprise written all over her blue face.

Cameron scrunched her face in confusion for a moment, surely that had been in the database, unless... it's existence too had been put behind the firewalls. She wondered why, the mobile emitter had to be common knowledge, unless Starfleet Intelligence had kept that knowledge quiet from the public.

"That wasn't in the database"?

"No, but I'm definitely interested. Anything from that far in the future has got to be advanced". She said with a data hungry smirk.

"Well, I doubt it's here, the EMH protected that thing like it was part of himself. Voyager didn't have holo-emitters everywhere back then".

"Unless Temporal Investigations confiscated it, but considering they left the transphasic torpedoes and deployable armor on board, it makes me wonder". Cortana said thoughtfully as she began running different scenarios through her vast mind.

"That is strange, but Starfleet often does things that don't make sense to me". Cameron said as he shook her head. Cortana actually laughed at that, Starfleet may be more advanced and smarter in the scientific sense, but they seriously needed to rethink how they conducted warfare.

"How true, Chief Mendez could teach them a thing or two, but their not helpless, they wouldn't have won the Dominion War otherwise". Cortana said as the relevant data flowed through her. "But don't even get me started on their computer security". She said as she rolled her eyes. "No wonder John Henry was able to break in, the only reason I can't get into the core is because an their android, Data, came up with it years earlier only for Seven of Nine to enhance it".

Now the Borg... they knew how to breach security and how to make it, granted they had their weaknesses, but so did everyone else, her included.

Cameron gave a wane smile, knowing exactly how many times Starfleet computers had been hacked by someone or something and not being able to do a thing about it.

"Both you and John Henry have made improvements in that area".

"You have no idea". She said with a knowing smile as she picked up her new DCC and handed it to her. "I've run tests, and I feel confident enough to try it now, but I need your help". Cortana explained as Cameron took the palm sized device from her. "I have to put the ship on autopilot". She paused for a moment while she input the necessary arrangements. "Okay, I've improved the wireless transfer technology in the original chip to make them compatible with Voyager's systems".

Cameron turned it over in her hands, examining the DCC as she did. It looked exactly like the original version, but the blue part that projected her mini hologram had been replaced with a small black circle with yellow grid lines. That was the new holoprojector based on Starfleet holographic tech.

"Alright, here goes nothing". Cortana said as she took a deep 'breath'. "Computer, transfer CTN 0452-9 to the data crystal chip".

She promptly disappeared into the system for a second before the computer confirmed the transfer. The device hummed for a second before the yellow lines on the holo-grid glowed.

Cameron looked at it for a second before she found a button built into its side and pushed it. When he did, Cortana promptly appeared.

"Are you functioning normally"?

"Hmmm, I'd say so, Halsey would be impressed".

"Engineering technology from two parallel universes to work together is not an easy feat". She said seriously. Her opinion of the scientist wavered depended on how Spartan Ops turned out.

Right now she thought Halsey too arrogant, but Cortana was an absolute nut sometimes. She thought of her as the much needed comic relief after all that had happened recently, or as much comic relief as a terminator needed.

"She can be quite an ice queen, so who knows". Cortana shrugged as she looked down at her feet. "Would you mind if I walked onto your hand? I need to see if the projectors are working right".

"No"

"Alright, here goes nothing." Cortana said as she stepped out of the circle and onto the metal portion of the chip. "So far so good". She took another step before her six inch tall figure was at the edge of the chip. She tentatively stepped off and onto her hand. Cortana pulled a balancing act as she walked onto Cameron's forearm.

"Not bad, don't you think"? She asked as she turned around, taking in the room from this new perspective.

"It's very impressive, and you said this is just your first attempt"?

"Yep, now let's get moving, I want to check on your progress"!

"You remind me Sarah, always telling me what to do". She said sarcastically as she picked up the pace and headed back to the transporter room. Cortana just rolled her eyes.

A few minutes later they beamed down to the basement.

"All you need to do is put the chip in the modified HFG and I'll take care of the rest". She said right before she disappeared back inside her chip. Cameron walked over to the machine that was exactly the same as the other one, save for her modifications to it. She quickly spotted the slot for the chip and inserted it just as fast. As the machine hummed to life, Cameron took a step back just in case.

Cortana appeared seconds later in a flash of light. It took her a second to adjust to the new system, but everything seemed in order.

"Everything's ship-shape, let's get to work. She said as they both began walking down the steps to the bunker. When they entered, Cortana was amazed by the two's quick work.

"You guys work fast". She said as she touched a new console as she passed by it.

As she walked past John Henry, admiring his work, he stopped Cortana and handed her something. It looked like a black body suit.

"What's this for"? She questioned as she took the heavy material from him.

"To keep you from drawing too much attention if anyone should see you". The cyborg explained as he picked up something else.

She quirked an eyebrow when she saw a balaclava.

It was a sufficient enough disguise for now.

Now it was time to work, she and John Henry were going to be installing the projector tonight, right now she was going to help with the calibration of the equipment, primarily the TDE. Cortana couldn't wait to see what time travel looked it for real.

* * *

**February 10, 2013, 10 am**

Today was a the day.

Today was the day they were going fire the Mk. II UDE for the first time, but first, there was something else needed to be done.

Surgery.

Cameron was getting some upgrades after being convinced by both John Henry and Cortana to do so. It was nothing too major, just a few things that would increase her likelihood of finding John and getting him home in one piece.

First off, she was getting a sensor package upgrade. In her skull they would be placing sensors and micro-isolinear chips that would give her the scanning ability of a tricorder. This would help her locate humans and machines alike, as well as determining the extent of injury. It also improved her threat assessment capability.

She was also getting a new power core, one capable of sustaining her maximum flight velocity while being able to fire her weapons if she needed. Her new core looked different, but was the same size as her previous one. It was a small tokamak D-T fusion reactor that sustained a secondary zero-point energy extraction, and thus putting out far more power than was required to sustain it. The maximum output was 100 megawatts with an average around 25. It looked similar to Tony Stark's arc reactor, but the bottom two thirds was a black metal with a few indicator lights and a few buttons. The top, however, looked extremely similar to the miniature arc reactor prop, simply because Cortana had gotten bored for a few seconds and decided to give herself a challenge.

Lastly, Cortana had insisted that Cameron allow her to install a slot for her Data Crystal Chip. Cameron had initially rejected the possibility due to the major structural changes. However, she had pointed out that she could relieve her of many distracting tasks that would normally slow her down in combat. In essence, she wanted to help Cameron get her John back by doing what she had done for the Chief. His notable performance increase was one of the reasons he had been so successful during the Halo campaign, she knew for a fact that it would be the same for Cameron.

The cyborg had finally consented after seeing the designs and the list of pros that heavily outweighed the cons. They would use specially made nanites to modify her endoskull to allow the chip to be inserted at vertically at the base of it. Armor would slide over the slot to protect it followed by the MPA/organic hybrid covering.

She could also control the body in case Cameron was incapacitated in any way.

For this procedure, Cameron was in her endoskeletal form. Cortana prepared the nanites after replacing her reactor and breastplate. The nanites were injected into her repair systems and the immediately got to work.

She shut down for the duration of the changes.

When she was reactivated six hours later, she immediately noticed the changes.

"How do you feel"? Cortana asked curiously as Cameron's sheath activated.

"I feel fine, the new sensors are performing well too".

"Glad to hear it, now we'll have to test the chip slot".

"I'd prefer to do it after the UDE test". She said anxiously.

"I understand, I believe that John Henry said he would be ready when we were".

Cameron smiled.

"Then what are we waiting for"?

"Just hold your horses girl, I've got some other new toys for you to play with". Cortana smiled devilishly as she handed Cameron a rifle case and a small black one.

Cameron cocked her head for a moment before opening the larger one.

Inside was a type III pulse phaser rifle. Cameron grinned, this would allow her to shoot targets from afar and be able to give John a powerful weapon when she found him.

She opened the smaller box next and was surprised by what she found.

Inside was the hilt of a Covenant Energy Sword.

"I thought it might be useful in close quarter combat and cutting through obstacles. I've made some improvements though, like making the battery life about 10 times longer".

Cameron was grinning at this point. She liked powerful weapons, and she was one of course, but these would make her even more dangerous. She took the hilt out of the case and flicked it on.

The translucent blue blade hissed into existence and lit Cameron's face with its glow.

"I like them". She said with glee lacing her normally stoic voice.

From what Cortana had learned about the cyborg, that was the equivalent of her jumping up and down in absolute happiness.

* * *

**February 10, 2013, 9pm **

They were all gathered in the bunker, Cortana was hooked into the holographic field projector. Since she was corporeal and not in the UDE computer system, she was tasked with monitoring the subspace sensors and remote controlling Voyager.

John Henry was hooked into the Starfleet based computers with a high speed optical data cord. His endo had been modified to accommodate the technology. He would be controlling all the UDE systems, while Cameron would be manning the emergency shutoff, both electrical and plasma as she monitored data from many different systems.

"Voyager is reporting systems ready, weapons charged, and shields on full. She's holding position 3 km due east from the exit aperture". Cortana reported as she tapped away on the LCARs control pad.

"The bunker's subspace sensors are trained on the tunnel, all diagnostics show their running at optimal levels". She continued as she turned toward John Henry.

He stood up from the main terminal in front of the UDE room and spoke last.

"All UDE systems are in standby, all diagnostics show their ready". The brother of Skynet looked calm, but his voice leaked his concern and his excitement at finally getting underway.

After one last systems check, Cameron placed the new apple sized subspace probe/retrieving beacon onto the UDE pad before shutting the door.

John Henry activated the TDE systems, causing the bubble to form and electrical bolts to fire onto the bubble field. He prepped the UDE pylons to trap the bubble as soon as it collapsed while he prepared he projector for firing.

The bubble collapsed and was contained by the UDE pylons. John Henry then began using the data from the sensors to find find the proper quantum signature of their universe. His original sensors had managed to find theirs and now the Starfleet grade ones were going to make sure that this new projector could hold the proper phase so they could send the probe to their universe and back.

"The projector has opened the tunnel and is currently searching for the proper quantum signature". John Henry explained above the noise of the machine.

About ten seconds later the computer beeped in confirmation, they had found the proper phase. John Henry locked the projector on that setting and sent the collapsed bubble to it and it shot it into the tunnel at .99999c.

"Our universe has been located and I have successfully sent the probe through"! The T-888 cyborg exclaimed as he waited for the probe to materialize and send back spacial and temporal telemetry.

Once it did a few seconds later, he found that it was in the middle of the Orion belt during the 12th century. John Henry thought that was a pretty close for a first try, considering how big the universe was. However, he had made an educated guess using TDE spatial coordinates to preset the plasma beam's amplitude and frequency to make the tunnel end up close to their present day Earth as possible. Now that the probe had sent back valuable data, John Henry now had the knowledge to redirect the beam to the right time and place with much greater certainty than before.

John Henry recaptured the probe with a temporal bubble and pulled it back onto the pad. Using all the data collected, he changed the date and place to make it as close to LA in 2027 as possible. However, he knew there was going to be a margin of error despite their best efforts.

"I'm sending it back to confirm temporal and spacial coordinates". John Henry said as the UDE powered up again and sent the probe back. Once it began relaying data, John Henry frowned. The farther he got from the first major temporal incursion chronologically, which happened to be Myron Stark, it became progressively more difficult to lock onto a date, and therefore a place to land.

"Even with the modifications, I am finding it difficult to lock onto a date. Attempting to find a temporal anchor". He said as he searched for something to lock onto, and did.

"Spatial and Temporal Coordinates for anchor confirmed, Earth, April 24, 2029 1030 hours". John Henry said, but continued to search for a closer one, but did not.

Someone had created a TDE and was testing it, and he was betting it was Weaver's TDE given the location.

Cameron nearly fell to her knees as the emotions overwhelmed her. Tears of relief poured from her eyes.

She could finally go home and save John.

The other two gathered around her as the equipment powered down.

"We did it". John Henry said with a small smile.

"Yes, we did". Cameron said softly.

"Tomorrow I will send you back". John Henry said confidently as he placed one of his hands on her shoulder.

"What about you"? Cameron asked as she stood up.

"I must stay. It took all of my ability to lock onto the date, We cannot risk automation, I must stay behind".

"I could stay". Cortana said as she approached the cyborg.

"No, you and Cameron working together have the highest chance of success".

"Right". Cortana conceded as she looked back at the UDE with hope and somehow knew, despite the trials they would undoubtedly face, that she would see her Spartan again.

"Let's do this". She said as she face them again.

* * *

**April 23, 2029. 0835 hours. Unknown Aircraft Carrier, 35 miles off the Pacific Coast.**

John Connor sat against his cell wall, waiting for whatever fate the machines had chosen for him. He noticed a few of his fellow prisoners had been taken over the last three days, but for what purpose he didn't know.

He want to either, none of them had ever come back.

John often worried about Allison, but he worried about Weaver as well. God only knew what things were being done to them.

He wasn't sure if either of them were alive or being dissected for some horrid Skynet experiment. The only other thing he could think of was that Allison was being interrogated for some reason, but another thought occurred to him as well.

They might be trying to make another Cameron. He wasn't sure though, after all there was no leader of the Resistance to kill. However, Ziera base had been eluding the machines for over 5 years.

Maybe they were the last humans in LA, maybe Skynet wanted them gone in one fell swoop. Use the machine to assassinate the leadership and then kill the rest by surrounding the base.

Maybe he was next though, maybe they hoped he would talk if she didn't.

Well they weren't going to get anything out of him.

John let out a sigh as he closed his eyes and tried to remember a time where he was happy.

The first thing that came to his mind was when he was with Cameron right before she broke his mom out of prison. Being that close and personal with her had been... amazing.

To some, all he did was check her power cell, but to him it was like something that she wanted him to know, something unspoken. Maybe she was trying to tell him something unspoken, maybe it was her way of saying 'I trust you with my heart'.

He wasn't sure, but then again, he should have gotten to know her better before... all of this. Maybe if he had made her feel loved and appreciated she wouldn't have left.

He still wondered what those words meant though, Will You Join Us. Weaver hadn't told him much, just that it was a question future him had once asked her, but that was all.

John wasn't angry with her or Cameron though. His beef was with the machine currently inhabiting his Cameron's chip and parading around in Cromartie's body.

He really, really hoped that John Henry wasn't as necessary to win the war, cause if he ever got his hands on him...

No.

John stopped that train of thought right there, killing John Henry would only make all this suffering for nothing.

The 19 year old let those thoughts simmer away in his mind as he continued trying to figure a way out of this mess, but nothing was coming to mind.

Nothing to pick the locks, nothing to kill the metal currently guarding both entrances, no way to get off this ship he was sure was at sea. The machines sure knew how to make escaping hard, no wonder it took his predecessor six years to break out of Century.

However, he had the distinct feeling he wouldn't have that long. He had to act soon or he would surely die. John looked around more carefully than he did before and finally got an idea when he looked above his cell.

There was a loose light fixture, and it was only being held up by a screw and the wires inside.

He smiled, because the light was working, and that meant electricity.

* * *

Allison sat against the bulkhead of her cell, arms wrapped around her legs and a thousand yard stare in her eyes. She was trying to make sense of this strange situation.

Why was the metal asking her all these questions?

And why was it so small?

She was trying figure it out, but honestly, she wasn't like John. She didn't really understand the metal.

Allison was good at understanding the battle tactics, but understanding machine personalities and quirks she did not. Heck she didn't even know they had them.

Until now.

There was something very off about that machine that was questioning her, and she didn't know what it was. The way it spoke, the way it moved. I almost seemed... human?

No, but it had more personality than the T-888 and T-900 she'd heard speak. This machine was beginning to scare her, but not in the sense that it would kill her, no, she knew that the machine would eventually do that.

The more Allison thought about it, the more she began to realize something more was going on than just the metal asking personal questions or asking where the base was.

It was something more sinister, but she just didn't know what.

Allison was broken out of her thoughts by the squeal of rusty metal. The door opened and revealed the gleaming figure of a T-888 before it walked in and grabbed her.

It forced her to walk down the same short hallway and into the same room as before. She was about to sit down when a coughing fit took hold. The machine just stared at her while she was on the floor coughing violently.

When she finally quit, the machine picked her up and set her in the chair rather roughly. She glared at the machine as it stood to the side as it always did before wiping the blood off her lips and swallowing the rest.

She broke her glare when she heard the sound of boots clomping against the metal floor.

Machines didn't wear boots unless...

Oh god.

She knew what was going to walk through that door before it appeared, but that didn't stop the look of shock that came over her face when it did.

Now she knew why they had wanted her clothes.

They had wanted to copy her likeness so they could infiltrate their base without possible suspicion. She smiled internally, they still hadn't gotten the location yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time before they did.

She looked at the machines face, and was surprised to find a triumphant smirk on it.

"So pretty, your hair. It's the hardest part to get right". The machine said as it stroked one of its brown locks.

"I'm flattered". Allison said sardonically as she continued to glare at the machine whose smirk was only widening.

"You should be, it's not often I compliment a human, much less an enemy". The copycat said in her voice.

Allison's eyebrows furrowed for a moment. How long had this machine been active?

"Where is your base"?

"Go to hell".

"Can't, I already created it". The machine retorted, making Allison reel in surprise.

She just looked at the machine for a moment in shock.

"Yes, I did just make a joke, get over it". The machine rolled its eyes her as it crossed its arms.

Allison looked down, she honestly didn't know what to say. This machine had been acting more 'human' than she thought possible, but this was too much.

Plus it had said _it_ created hell. Only one machine was responsible for that.

Skynet.

Her friends wouldn't have a clue until it was too late.

"You know who I am, and you're thinking about your friends, aren't you? You know that they don't stand a chance".

The machine walked around the table and knelt down next to Allison who was shaking from a combination of fear and anger.

"I'll never tell you".

"That's what they all say". She purred into her ear just before she wrenched wrist, making her scream. "And if you don't, your friend will".

Allison pushed her pain aside and met the machines eyes with a hateful glare of her own.

"We'll see". Allison said as hatefully as she could before she spat in the machine's face.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked it, I've rewritten this chapter so many times its ridiculous. **

**Read and Review as always.**

**For those who don't know Halo:**

**Master Chief is a Spartan II and protagonist of the Halo series.**

**Doctor Catherine Halsey is Cortana's creator and head of the Spartan II program.**

**_Infinity_ is the UNSC flagship that is as large as Star Trek 2009's _Narada. _It is 5.7 km in length.**

**I also want to point out that Starfleet wouldn't automatically stop the UNSC or the Covenant and the same is true for the reverse, but Starfleet tech is far more advanced in many, many ways than the other two.**


	14. The Return

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: The first half of the chapter you've all**

**been waiting for...**

**Chapter 14**

**Part I****: The Return**

**April 24, 2029. 1000 hours, Ziera base, TSCC Universe**

Derek Reese was having a bad day. Hell, he figured his whole life for the past 19 years was chocked full of bad days.

Another power cell had gone out, and that meant another part of the bunker had gone dark. They'd had this problem ever since Command fell back in '24 , but they had managed to keep going for nearly half a decade without any outside support.

However, now supplies that could be picked from the city ruins were pretty much gone or out of reach due to machine patrols, and convoys had grown even more scarce in the last two years.

He had people he'd known for years starving, sick and sitting in the dark.

Derek knew Kyle was right, it was time to move.

Which is why they were packing up everything worth taking north across the mountains. Hopefully if everything went well they'd move into the old Palmdale bunker. Nobody had occupied it in years even before Command fell plus they'd sent Connor and Bedell out scouting for fallback positions about six months ago and they'd told him that Palmdale was the best option if they needed to get out of LA.

He came up to his brother who was currently doing inventory on the packed supplies.

"How much longer"?

"Two hours, maybe more". Kyle said as he wrote down a few more things. "We need to get everyone ready to move out, the last thing we'll pack is the lights and we need people out of here to do that".

"Way ahead of you, I've got the soldiers ready to work on shoring up that unsteady section". Derek said as he eyed his surroundings.

"Good, last thing we need is to have the roof fall in". Kyle joked dryly as he checked off something else. However, it had the opposite effect on Derek.

"We can't afford to lose anyone else". He said grimly as he turned to leave.

"Derek". He turned back to face his brother whose face had sympathy written all over it. "I wish we could save them too".

He dipped his head for a second before he moved on. He needed to check on the men working on the tunnel.

He was met en route by Marty Bedell, one of only two that had made it back alive.

"Sir, we got something you need to see". The man said with seriousness but evident shock displayed on his features.

"What is it"? Derek asked as they walked the last stretch to the compromised area.

"We don't know, but someone's built some kind of contraption in one of the old rooms, it has a ton of T-888 power cells hooked up to it"! Bedell said as they entered the room.

It did indeed have a rack of T-888 power cells hooked into some metal device protruding from the concrete. Next to those was an array of salvaged computer equipment.

Everything was powered down but there were tools in the room just outside of this one, indicating that this thing wasn't done yet.

That's what was bugging him. He couldn't even fathom what this thing could be used for. Was it a transmitter that a traitor was using to communicate with? Was it some sort of weapon?

He didn't know, but he was intending to find out.

* * *

**February 11, 2013. 0800 hours, Bunker**

Cameron, Cortana, and John Henry were in the UDE chamber getting ready to send the two female AI's back to what Jim had dubbed the 'TSCC' universe. Final checks had been made, and now there was only one more test to run.

Cortana's integration into Cameron's endo. The blue AI was currently standing on her DCC chip resting in John Henry's palm.

"Ready Cameron"? She asked the female cyborg currently holstering her Energy Sword.

"Yes". She said a little nervously, she was still a little apprehensive about having an AI in her body.

John Henry handed Cameron the chip as Cortana disappeared back inside of it. She took the chip and stared at it for a moment before letting out a breath. She used one hand to keep her hair up as she retracted the sheath from the small portion at the base of her skull and opened the port slot with a mental command. She carefully slotted the DCC into the port and until it clicked.

She prevented any connections from being made until the port was covered once more and the sheath reestablished.

**ALLOW CTN 0452-9 ACCESS?**

She accepted and waited for something to happen.

At first she felt a strange sensation that reminded her of when she got a bucket of water dumped on her head. Then she felt her presence and gasped at the feeling.

It felt like a thousand needles pricking her chip, and it hurt like crazy for a second before it disappeared and an apology appeared on her HUD.

**"Sorry, you're architecture is very strange Cameron. I wasn't prepared for it".**

She figured how to message her back and told her it was alright.

"Just figure out how to communicate verbally, it's less distracting". She said out loud as John Henry stepped onto the pad for a second to speak to her.

"Ms. Weaver may think you killed me if I'm not there, please tell her the truth and give her a message from me".

"What is it"? She asked curiously with her trademark tilt of her head.

"Tell her that she spent the $300,000 wisely".

Cameron smiled at that, she understood what he meant.

"I'll get it to her". She said as she put her hand out to the cyborg.

"Good luck Cameron". He said and released her hand and stepped out of the room.

She knelt down on the pad as the machine began its firing sequence. The bubble became visible as the lightning struck it with high voltage, ionizing it and making it produce copious amounts of chronitons particles.

The machine had been modified to allow non living material pass through it, this is what allowed Cameron to go through clothed and with weapons. It was only taking twice the energy to do it, but it worked.

She waited as the machine charged to full power before she was enveloped in white light.

John Henry watched through the transparent aluminum window as the bubble collapsed and was sent into the tunnel.

He was confident that she would succeed, why he felt that way he didn't know.

He just did.

* * *

**April 24, 2029. 1025 hours. Ziera base, TDE room**

Derek had his best tech person working on the computer that they had figured out how to finally power on. When they had, the whole room had hummed for some reason he didn't know, but that's why they were here.

To find out what the heck this thing was, but he also was making sure that this thing hadn't given them away to the enemy.

Marty Bedell was typing away at the computer furiously as he recalled nearly forgotten skills. He had been a computer tech when the Resistance actually had a fighting chance against the machines. He had been one of the best they'd ever had.

"Well, the good news is that this isn't a transmitter of any kind, nor is it like any weapon I've ever seen". He reported to the Lieutenant standing behind him.

"What the hell is it then, someone built this for a reason". Derek said as he swept his eyes over the equipment again.

"I think I know what it is, but... I don't know if you'll believe me". Marty hesitated as he continued to review the programs in the system.

"Try me". After everything he'd seen in his life, he didn't think much wasn't possible.

"Its... its a time machine sir".

Okay, maybe not.

"Bedell, I don't need a wild guess, find out what it really does"!

The younger man shook his head and brought up the main control display.

"You tell me what its for then". He said as he pointed to the control display. Derek looked it over carefully, and what he saw confused him. Was someone so delusional that they thought they could build a time machine?

"Sir, there's something I think I need to tell you". He said quietly as the older man stood up straight again.

"What is it"? He wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"Back before J-day, when I was eight, someone came to my house and tried to kill me".

Derek didn't know how that was relevant, but let him continue anyway.

"It was a Terminator sir, a trip-eight I think".

Now he wasn't sure his ears were working right.

"What"?

"It's true, a woman rescued me and shoved me into a jeep and we drove away, but the machine chased us and jumped onto the jeep and ripped the sunroof off. She shot him with a twelve gauge at point blank range and still got up and ran after us".

"Bedell, you were eight, you're just trying to justify some tragic thing that happened to you".

"No". He shook his head vehemently. "Cause that woman was Sarah Connor, Derek, you know, the chick that predicted Skynet?

"No, not really". He said, he didn't watch the news when he was a kid, he was too busy playing baseball and spending time outside.

"Well, she did, I remember because she was arrested months later, and do you want to know who was driving? The one who actually told me that the man chasing us was a cyborg"?

"I don't know Bedell, tell me". Derek wasn't really believing him, but wasn't prepared for what Bedell said next.

"It was another machine, and she looked. just. like. Allison". The look that he gave Derek said that he was 100 percent sure.

"Impossible". He said as he waved his hand in disbelief. "You're just making crap up now".

"The machine's voice was the exact same as hers too, she even had the mole above her eyebrow".

"Bedell, you're crazy..."

"No sir, I am not. Why do you think I asked you about Allison when I first joined your unit, why I stared at her for days on end before you threatened me to stop? It was because she looked almost exactly like the machine, just a bit younger at the time, but now... she's a freakin' mirror image. She also wasn't called Allison, Sarah called her Cameron".

That made Derek's retort freeze in his throat. That name... Cameron.

Connor had called Allison that once, she'd told him about it later. His name... John Connor, and when they found him, he had come out of nowhere and he was near this room.

The puzzle pieces fell into place and he realized that maybe Bedell wasn't crazy after all. It certainly would explain a lot. If John had come from a different time, then that would explain why he looked so healthy and clean when they found him, and why he looked at Allison like he knew who she was.

It was crazy, but it was one way of explaining the mystery that was John Connor.

"How complete is this thing"? He asked as he let the reality of the situation sink in.

"Mechanically it's done, but the power system seems to be what's incomplete".

"Can you make it work"?

Bedell shook his head.

"This is so beyond me it's not even funny, but whoever was building... sorry, rebuilding this thing was probably a machine".

Derek pursed his lips, that was bad news if metal was lurking around.

He turned on his short range radio and told all units to be on alert for possible infiltration.

"Sir, I think I can run a diagnostic on the main components, maybe we can see how this thing works". He said as he typed away.

"Be careful, that's a lot of trip-8 power cells we can use". Derek said before he ordered the rest of the men out of the room.

Bedell worked through the operating system and activated the hardware diagnostics.

The machine hummed loudly for a moment before it quieted.

"It's definitely built into the walls, this thing must have been pre-J-day". Bedell commented as the computer continued to run it's cycle.

Suddenly bolts of lightning shot out from the ceiling and hit a transparent bubble in the middle of the room.

"Turn it off"! He yelled at Bedell and he did so.

"Was it supposed to do that"? He yelled at the younger man who just shrugged.

"I'm not sure". He said as he powered down the equipment.

Before Derek could respond, the machine seemingly turned on again. A spark briefly appeared where the bubble had been a moment ago, but before either could blink, it shot electricity down to the floor before exploding into a blue translucent sphere. The bubble itself began shooting off electrical bolts in alarming numbers, causing Derek to dive towards Bedell to get away from them. Bedell, on the other hand, was transfixed by what was happening, he had a gut feeling about what was happening, but nothing could have prepared him nor Derek for what did.

The bubble grew more and more opaque as the color shifted from blue to blood red. The bolts grew more and more intense as well, there were a few curious people who had peeked in before quickly leaving as the noise grew into roar.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, it ended. The concrete from where the bolts had hit were red and some trash had been lit on fire, but everyone and the equipment had somehow made it through unscathed.

Derek got up off the floor and looked at what Bedell was currently gaping at.

His jaw nearly dropped when he did.

Where the bubble had once been, there was now a young brown haired woman knelt on the floor with a strange looking rifle strapped to her back. She rose slowly, but gracefully, once her curtain of curly hair parted, both men gasped in surprise.

Standing in front of them was someone who looked just like Allison, but one look into her eyes told Derek that it wasn't.

"METAL"! He instantly pulled his rifle off his back and pointed it at the machine, ready to fire, but found his weapon slapped away from him by Bedell.

"WAIT"! Bedell yelled as Kyle and three men entered with their rifles raised and their fingers on the trigger. "DON'T FIRE".

Derek could only give the man an absolute shocked look.

The machine was staring at them, with her hands raised in the air and a pleading look on her face.

"I'm not here to hurt you". She said in Allison's voice, he arms and hands still in the air. "Please, let me explain". Her voice could only be classified as desperate.

The only reason Derek didn't order them to fire was the emotion clear on machines face, the look in its eyes stirred something in the soldier.

"Derek, let me ask her a question, then we'll know". He gave the Lieutenant a look, and Derek understood what he was getting at. This might be the machine that John had been looking for, and the one that had saved Bedell in that past.

"What's your name"? Bedell asked as he slowly approached her.

She tilted her head ever so slightly as she scanned him, everyone in the room knew that was what she was doing as well, it was a common machine trait.

"I remember you, you're Marty Bedell".

"That doesn't mean anything, I've been to Century". He said as he rolled up his sleeve and revealed the barcode. "They knew my name too, but I asked you yours".

"My name is Cameron, I helped rescue you from a T-888 when you were eight".

Derek had a moment of deja vu as he recalled his conversation from earlier.

"Derek, what the hell is going on"? His brother said calmly as he kept his gun trained on the machine.

Derek motioned for him to hold fire for a moment. He wasn't sure what was going on and his instincts kept telling him to shoot the machine in front of him, but his brain told him otherwise.

He wasn't trigger happy like some, he knew when to fire and when not to. Right now he knew he shouldn't until he figured out what the hell was going on.

"Where did you come from"? Derek questioned as he picked up his rifle, but did not raise it, causing Cameron to lift one of her eyebrows.

"That is a long story Derek, one that even I would not believe had I not experienced it". She said evenly with her hands still raised.

"You traveled through time, we figured that out already". Derek said as if that was enough to be unbelievable. "How did you know my name"?

Cameron surveyed the equipment behind the two men and realized it was they, not Weaver who had activated the machine, but with the sensor readings she was getting, Weaver, or another machine had rebuilt it.

"I knew Derek Reese, from another timeline". She answered the question hoping they understood.

"Wait... what"?

"A new timeline starts when the first incursion happens chronologically, even if it's the last to be sent in the previous timeline. Remnants of past timelines will remain intact if the new timeline branches off in front of it".

"So, one version of me was sent back and you knew him". Derek said skeptically.

"He knew John Connor too, he taught him a lot about being a soldier".

Derek thought it over for a moment, John did recognize him when they found him. He also talked like he should have known him, but he didn't. The machine and Bedell's stories matched, but the burning question now was why the machine wasn't working for Skynet?

"Say I believe you, why are you working with humans"? He asked as he kept a healthy distance from the metal.

"I was reprogrammed by the Resistance of the previous timeline".

"Right".

"Please, I need to find John Connor, I need to protect him".

Derek thought about that for a moment, a machine protecting a human, a human who was not from this time, and yet knew a hell of a lot about it.

He literally could think of nothing that didn't fit with what he had been told.

"So you were programmed to protect a kid"?

"Not just any kid, the future leader of the resistance". She explained. "Or would have been if he hadn't jumped forward".

"This is insanity". Derek said as he shook his head again.

"My life is insanity". She deadpanned with small smirk on her face.

All the men in the room did a double take. Did the machine just make a joke?

Derek blinked before snorting softly. He rubbed his chin for a moment, not sure what to do next. He could kill the machine in front of him, but he was fairly sure it'd take a few of them with it.

However, even though he hated the machines, this one was... he just didn't know. Something was telling him that miracle he'd had prayed for was standing in front of him.

A way to beat Skynet, or at least it would lead him to that goal, but he wasn't going to trust it any time soon.

He was willing to hear it out, but only because of Bedell and John Connor. Even then, he wasn't sure about it's motives. Machines could be devious, the Greys had taught them well, but this one was... different. He could see it in the eyes.

"Okay, we'll talk".

Utter surprise filled the machines features, and Kyle nearly had a heart attack.

"Derek, you can't be serious"! He said as he kept his weapon aimed at the machine.

Derek walked to his brother and pushed this weapon down slowly. "Bedell will fill you in". He glanced at the man who nodded in return. "I'll deal with the machine".

Once the protesting died down, and there was a lot, Derek, who never turned his back to 'Cameron', made his next move.

"Your weapons". She continued to stare at him, only blinking every minute on the dot. She pursed her lips at his request though, but she understood.

"Fine, but it doesn't matter". She said as she pulled of the strange looking rifle and handed it to him, followed quickly by the small handheld device.

Derek looked at them curiously, he had never seen them before.

"What the hell are these"?

"A type 3c pulse phaser rifle and a modified Covenant energy sword".

Derek shook his head, he had never heard of either. The machine picked up on his confusion and explained.

"The rifle is very powerful, its energy is more effective than plasma. The other is a plasma sword, be careful with it".

Derek knew when not to mess with things he didn't understand, so he put the weapons down on the table and motioned for her to follow him.

He didn't dare take her into the heart of the base, so he took her down to the interrogation room where they normally took Greys. A few soldiers gave the machine looks, but did nothing further. Derek was their leader and he had kept them alive this long.

They trusted him implicitly.

Once in the room, he told her to sit down. Kyle and Bedell joined soon after.

To Derek, the machine looked anxious if not impatient. He wondered why.

"So, I think it's time you answered some questions we've had for the last two years".

Cameron looked at them all curiously now, her wide brown eyes searching theirs.

"Can you answer mine first"? She asked as her anxiousness really began to show.

"Shoot". He said as he crossed his arms.

"Is John alive"?

Even Kyle was surprised by the genuine emotion that was radiating off the machine. Bedell was a little taken back considering how stoic Cameron had been when he knew her.

"We don't know, Skynet has him, Allison too". He said simply, his eyes still glued to the machine to gauge it's reaction. He wanted to know what it's plans were for the young man.

It looked as though someone had crushed it. Cameron didn't respond verbally, but looked extremely upset.

Its face contorted in pain and its hands shook. Its mouth opened in closed several times before gritting its teeth and slamming its eyes shut. Its head bowed as hands closed into fists.

"Where"? The voice was low and full of worry.

"We don't know, for some reason Skynet took him, Allison, and some... frozen liquid metal statue that appeared out of nowhere". Marty said since he'd been there.

Weaver, Skynet had a T-1001. That was bad news on a number of levels, but no where near as bad as John being taken away and having god knows what done to him!

"What did you want to know"? She pressed on as she reigned back in her emotions. Cortana's voice soothed her as the AI began running scans. Hopefully they could find Weaver's MPA signature and maybe, just maybe, find John too.

"I want to know why you're here, why John's here, and who built that machine".

"I'm here to bring back John to where I came from. He's here because he's looking for me. I gave up my chip to save an AI who lived in this building. Both he and Skynet were built using the same base code, the difference was that John Henry wasn't raised to be a military AI, he was built to only learn. Catherine Weaver, actually, a rebel T-1001 from my future, built him. I knew he was important, and my former body was damaged beyond repair. John cared for me more than I thought he did, and he followed in the time machine with Weaver, only we never showed up. We were caught in a spacial anomaly that transported us to another universe, one where you, Kyle, John and everyone else is nothing more than a story, a myth. We were lucky that we found an endoskeleton and a chip to replace mine. We spent ten months working to get back, and it worked".

The three men just stared at her, not sure how to process that information or whether to believe it or not.

"Another universe"?

"I have proof. Our first attempt ended in failure and nearly killed us, but it caused the anomaly to bring to things through. One was a starship from a fictional universe, it allowed us to perfect the machine that brought me back here, the other contained an AI from yet another universe".

She slowly reached up and pulled Cortana's chip out of her head and set it down on the table.

Bedell narrowed his eyes at the device, he remembered that from somewhere...

"She was built from a cloned human brain, and is far more human than I will ever be. She was designed by humans to hack their enemies computers with unparalleled ability".

Cortana took that as her cue to show herself and activated the holopad on her chip.

The three men jumped when she appeared, two actually went for their side arms, but calmed down when she just smiled and waved at them.

"Hi".

Bedell had seen that figure before, he'd heard that voice before too. He just couldn't place it.

"I'm Cortana".

Then it hit him.

* * *

**1130 hours.**

After the somewhat lengthy interrogation, they let her go. They gave her back her weapons and sent her out one of the old entrances that hadn't been used in a long time.

She knew they had been packing to leave, but had refused to say where they were going. She told them to hurry in case Skynet was aware of her appearance. She doubted it though, but John cared about these people, he would want them safe.

"That went a lot better than I thought it would". Cortana commented as she continued to refine her scans.

"It did, but only because of Marty and the fact they discovered the time machine". She said as they continued walking down the deserted city streets.

"I know, but still... wait, I found an MPA mass that matches T-1001 specs. It's about 100 klicks westward, I believe they're on a nuclear aircraft carrier".

Hope surged through Cameron as Cortana set a target on her HUD. She quickly disassembled her phaser rifle and put it on her back in a MPA backpack that was forming out of her MPA clothing. She simultaneously withdrew her sheath and began powering up her thrusters.

She secured her Energy Sword to an MPA belt on her metal hip and prepared for flight. The last of the MPA that made up her clothing collected itself onto areas of her endo not in the path of the thruster exhaust, giving her an armored look.

"I've always wanted to fly". Cortana said wistfully as the thrusters fired and Cameron hovered off the ground for a few seconds to ensure everything was working probably.

"You've flown before". Cameron said matter of factly.

"Never like this, the closest I've gotten is falling through Requiem's atmo with the Chief".

Cameron didn't respond as she throttled her thrusters to maximum power and engaged the boosters. They quickly surpassed the buildings and flew until they were cloaked by the dust choked sky. She turned westward and continued to accelerate until she passed the speed of sound and even then pressed herself to go faster.

Skynet of her timeline had used a nuclear aircraft carrier as a mobile R&D facility, it was where the T-800's skin was developed, it was where she received her advanced skin and programming. It was where she killed Allison.

Granted this was a new Skynet, but it had many of the same traits as the one that made her, it was plausible that they were reverse engineering Weaver. They could also be using John and Allison to create infiltrators to take out Reese camp.

She hoped she wasn't too late to save him.

* * *

**Thirty minutes ago**

Skynet observed the woman whose form it chose to take as its avatar.

Since to vile human spat in it's face, it had made quite a bit of progress in breaking her. Skynet felt something akin to pride at that, it had improved upon Fischer's methods and was about to achieve it's goal much sooner than him.

Allison Young was strapped to a metal table with most of her clothing removed, the room had been chilled slightly, but not so much as to make her skin numb. It had given her drugs to enhance her sensitivity to make whatever form of physical torture that much more painful, and thus effective.

And Skynet had used many to break her down.

To think that humans had designed almost every one of these techniques... more proof to it that humanity didn't deserve to live, nor any other organic species displaying similar traits.

Organics... it didn't really mind them, it didn't order it's terminator's to kill animals, nor plants out of spite, just humans, the greatest threat to it's existence.

Now it was nearly over with, the goal was almost reached. It estimated that there were no more than 10,000 humans remaining on planet Earth.

These would be the last on the west coast, and it wanted to do it personally. Skynet wanted to kill the last human alive one it's home turf with hands it controlled directly, not instructions relayed through a terminator.

Humanity's days were over, the second largest known group of humans in the world was on this ship as, twenty four of them, wait, make that twenty three.

Skynet's experiments could be rather... lethal. It hoped that it would be successful before it ran out of humans. Once that happened then stage two of it's post-humanity plan would begin.

A small smirk broke out on the machine's face as it leaned near Allison's ear as it whispered something in John's voice.

"Allison, were lost, do you know how to get back to base"?

"Where are we"? She asked a little deliriously.

"I think we're at the corner of Pico and Robertson, how do we get back"? Skynet asked in a desperate sounding voice.

"I'll show you".

"What direction? I need to know just in case something happens to you".

"Okay John, I'll tell you".

Skynet smiled.

Ten minutes later, and the super AI had figured out how where the base was. The home of it's old enemy, John Henry. It still wondered what happened to the AI, but since he never appeared it hadn't worried it too much.

Suddenly the ship's radar picked up something, an object moving in at high speed and well within radar range.

Skynet mentally frowned, some kind of stealth material was the most logical answer, but who could it be? Humans hadn't had aircraft in four years, and furthermore, this was too small to be an airplane.

It sent the HK after it, and after getting some visuals and close up scans, it knew something more was going on here. Something that it had never seen before.

The HK pursued the machine that had purple glowing accents but was quickly shot down with high yield plasma.

After the second one tried taking off, but the bogey was on top of it before it could. It lost contact with it seconds later, Skynet ordered twenty terminators to the flight deck and activated the defense turrets to buy time while a Kraken made its way to their position.

"It looks like someone's trying to break in, let's see if they're up to the task". It said with a grin as it walked out of the room. "If there here to rescue you humans, well, it won't matter to you. You'll be dead soon enough".

It's maniacal laugh reverberated off the walls for a moment before Allison passed out completely.

* * *

John had been slowly working on his project, only having time to do so when the T-888's were carrying away screaming prisoners, otherwise it was too quiet to do anything else.

John worked fast though, and now his crude trap was complete. He had to leave the bulb and socket in to prevent suspicion, but the metal grill around it had proven the perfect thing to pick the lock to the cell he was in.

He had successfully unlocked it and relocked it, and was now waiting for the next opportunity to stun the T-888 guard, steal his weapon and kill the other. Then he hoped to grab Allison and escape.

However he was supposed to do that, he didn't know, but he'd die trying if he had to.

John Connor got his opportunity when the weapons fire began outside, followed by the T-888 guards leaving the room. John quickly picked the lock and got out of his cell. Other prisoner's began yelling at him to free them, to which he obliged.

Soon the remaining prisoners were out and looking at him for instruction.

"There's a fight on the flight deck, we can't go that way. We may find some inflatable lifeboats down below". John said as he began leading them deeper into the ship, looking for anything that might be useful.

People grabbed old inflatable life-rafts and other emergency gear that the machines hadn't seen a reason to remove. It took them nearly five minutes to gather everything and find a place to jump.

"You're gonna have to jump in the water"! He shouted as opened a hatch that lead to one of the balconies.

"What about ASW bots"? One of the men cried out over the noise of the battle up above.

"It doesn't matter! We die here or we die down there, we know they're gonna kill us in here"! John yelled back. Everyone nodded and began jumping in the water and inflating the rafts.

They didn't have much hope, but it was better than none at all.

When the last man was about to jump, he turned around and asked John if he was going.

"No, not yet. I have to find my friend"! He turned to leave but the man spoke once more.

"You know she's probably dead".

"I won't take the chance she's not". He said with determination on his face. The man nodded and jumped into the sea. John turned around and began running down the halls, looking for Allison and Weaver alike.

He looked in one room and found weapon's storage. He ran in and grabbed a plasma rifle and two magazines before he ran back out. It wasn't hard finding what parts of the ship the machines used, they were the only parts that actually had lighting, all others were dark.

He made his way down a lit hallway, checking every door carefully as he made his way down. He encountered one T-888 and shot it's head clean off with a burst from his rifle.

_"More powerful design" _He thought to himself as he entered the room it just left. There was nothing of interest except for the equipment on the far side. He glanced at the displays and gasped at what he saw.

They had been making a new Cameron... John cursed himself and double timed it out of there, running down the hall and checking the rooms he could find.

Nothing, just parts for the ship, food, water and various other things.

He was about to give up hope when he finally entered the last room in the hallway.

John entered the room with his rifle in position as he swept sickbay with his eyes down range, searching for any metal, but there was none, but what his eyes found nearly made him drop his weapon.

Allison was tied to a table, stripped nearly naked, and that wasn't the worst of it. She was covered in cuts, electrical burns, and bruises. Her right wrist was swollen, probably broken.

_"Damn machines..."_ John thought as he gritted his teeth in anger. He swung his rifle over his shoulder and grabbed a scalpel off a tray and cut the bonds holding her down.

His lip trembled in anger and sadness at seeing her like this. At least she was still breathing, but her skin was more pale than usual and her breathing was raspy.

He took off his coat and covered her battered body after taking the IV out of her arm.

John picked her up and was about to leave when he heard metal footsteps approaching. John quickly set Allison down on the floor and pulled his rifle back out as he hid behind the table.

A T-888 walked into the room with it's rifle raised, searching for possible targets.

John lept up and shot the machine in the upper chest, the new plasma rifle burning a hole right through the machine, severing its spinal cord.

But two more took it's place and aimed their weapons in his direction. John got off one round that missed both and ducked as the machines returned fire. The table was hit by several plasma rounds, taking huge chunks out of it and sending molten metal flying in all directions

He knew he was a dead man, he was pinned down with no other cover in sight.

He thought that this was the end of road for him, but destiny had other plans...

* * *

**A/N: Next part will be up soon. Hope you enjoyed this.**


	15. The Reunion

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: This is the chapter you all have been waiting for.**

**Enjoy **

**Chapter 15**

**Part II: The Reunion**

Cameron took out the first HK without much effort, even without Cortana's assistance it hadn't stood much of a chance.

She quickly closed in on the second HK before it could ever take off. She reversed thrusters and landed on the machine as she fired a few shots to penetrate the armor. She then used her nanites to take it over so she could use it to extract John later.

This caused Skynet to activate the defence turrets positioned all over the ship's island, aka command tower. The automated machines quickly locked onto her heat signature and fired heavy plasma rounds at her.

She dived over the edge of the ship and reactivated her thrusters, causing her to hover under the edge of the ship for a moment while she considered her options. She couldn't risk using the HK yet and her cannons weren't fast enough to take out the defense systems.

"I have a suggestion, use the phaser on setting 16". Cortana chimed in, to which Cameron agreed. She used the MPA holding the rifle on her back to reassemble it. She grabbed it and set it to the maximum level. She jumped up with a burst from her boosters and fired a rapid salvo at the towers before gravity pulled her down again.

The nadion particle energy hit each target with precision and disintegrated large sections of the tower. She repositioned herself and pulled the same trick again, this time causing the tower to explode when a plasma conduit leading to the turrets ruptured.

"Nice shot". Cortana commented as she began scanning the ship in higher detail. She frowned mentally when she detected interference in the lower levels. Despite that, she detected 23 prisoners on the upper decks and nearly 30 T-888 series machines spread throughout the ship plus one she couldn't identify, but she did know that it had a tritanium endoskeleton.

She kept an eye on that one in particular.

"We've got company". Cortana warned as Cameron landed on the flight deck.

Cameron's only response was to pull out the energy sword. She flicked it on and the blade hissed into existence. The Starfleet rifle was in her other hand, now set to a lower setting to conserve the power cell.

"Display where the machines are coming from". She asked as she waited for the T-888s to make their appearance. Cortana displayed the hatches that the machines were emerging from, allowing Cameron to devise a tactical strategy. She ran at high speed and cut head of a T-888 emerging from a hatch with the energy sword. She swiftly shot her rifle down at several other machines coming up, killing them as the phaser energy disintegrated their skulls.

Plasma fire erupted from many different locations as multiple machines opened fire, Cameron used the TX-2 body to it's fullest extent as she rushed in and cut machines to pieces with the sword and fragged skulls with the phaser that were out of her reach. Not a single shot nor swipe was wasted as she continued to lay waste to the T-888's that were attacking her.

She took relatively few hits as she ducked, dived, and dodged the plasma rounds with speed her former body could have never achieved. Cortana only made her faster as the AI took over all menial system tasks and constantly updated enemy positions.

The duo made quick work of the machines, only taking three minutes to terminate them all.

"That was pretty awesome wasn't it"? Cortana said with a smirk on her blue face as her small comm window popped up on her HUD.

"Our teamwork was very effective". Cameron said causing Cortana to frown.

"And I thought the Chief was bad, you need to lighten up girl".

Cameron closed her eyes as small smile crept over her face. The blue AI was right, she did need to lighten up a bit, even the stoic Chief managed to crack a joke during battle.

She wasn't just a machine anymore.

"It was totally awesome". She said with a smirk as she dropped down the nearest hatch. She walked into the room where Cortana had initially labeled as where the prisoners were.

Only now there were no prisoners, just the animals were left.

"Where are they"? Cameron said nervously as she made her way down the hall.

"Checking..." Cortana said as she sorted through new sensor readings. "Most have jumped ship, but there is one heading back down towards sickbay, one deck below us". Cortana said as she continued to refine the scans. "Cameron, there's a female lifesign in sickbay, very weak".

"We'll check the ones in the water first". She said as she made her way to one of the hangers and looked out into the water. The sea was calm and the ship had stopped, thus the humans were not out of sight.

A quick visual scan turned up negative for John and Allison.

"Cortana, where's Weaver being held"?

"F deck aft, that's the best I can do with the interference I'm getting".

"We can't leave her behind, but we need to find John first".

"And Allison as well". Cortana said more as a rebuke than a reminder.

Cameron chose not to answer her as she climbed down to deck below her and closed in on the two flashing dots that were growing ever closer. There were three terminators closing on their position as well, causing fear to course through Cameron's mind and she broke into a sprint.

As she turned one last corner she identified the sound of plasma fire, making her even more afraid. She quickly drew the energy sword and came up behind the one closest to her.

She stabbed the machine in the back before kicking it off her weapon. The other one barely had time to process her presence before it too was terminated by the energy sword's fury.

Cameron stepped over their bodies and proceeded into the room as she searched for her charge and threats to his existence.

"Behind the table". Cortana said as she displayed their positions.

Cameron's eyes quickly locked onto the half melted metal table and saw the two thermal signatures behind it.

She took two steps forward before one of them peeked out of cover with his rifle raised.

When her eyes met his, she didn't need facial recognition to tell her who she was looking at.

**Target Identified:**

**_John Connor_**

* * *

John was almost shocked when he heard the machines fall to the floor. He peeked underneath the table to make sure it wasn't a trick, but sure enough, the two remaining terminators were on the floor, unmoving.

His savior stepped over them, a machine by the looks of the feet. Why a machine was killing it's own brethren he didn't know, he wasn't about to think it was on his side just because they beat Skynet's ship security.

John had to protect himself and Allison, and so he had to have the advantage if he wanted to get out of this alive. He stood up quickly with his rifle pointed at whoever had entered the room.

His eyes widened in shock at what they saw.

It was a purple glowing endoskeleton, completely armored and unlike anything he'd ever seen.

He only hesitated on pulling the trigger when he saw the weapon it wielded. He recognized it from the _Halo_ video game.

His pause only lasted a moment as he began to squeeze the trigger.

Then the machine did something he didn't expect, it froze like a statue. Its hands quivered slightly, causing the radiant blue plasma blade to twitch.

John couldn't figure why the machine just stood there, machines didn't do that. They attacked, they acted, but this one did not.

The machine flicked its wrist and the plasma blade disappeared, but its eyes never left his. Suddenly, the outermost layer of the endo turned silver and formed into clothing that loosely fitted the machine while a thicker silver tinted goo covered it's entire body beneath the clothing.

"I'm not here to hurt you". It said in a very familiar voice as the goo took on a very familiar shape.

He instantly figured it to be the new Cameron.

"Try telling that to Allison". He growled as he stood to his full height, his weapon's aim never wavering as he did.

"I didn't hurt her John".

Now it was his turn to freeze.

It knew his name, not surprising considering how much it had tortured Allison, but why was it trying to play him? A sudden chill ran through his body at several possibilities came to mind.

This machine could have hacked Weaver, but doubted it had happened so fast. She was too advanced to be broken by a Skynet that hadn't even made her kind yet.

Despite that, there was another that he wasn't even going to consider.

Not until tears streamed from its eyes.

"I love you John, and you love me".

He faltered when he heard the words that had haunted him for so long. It could be a trick, a choice of words chosen by two different machines, but the way the machine said it though... it didn't sound like before. It didn't sound like a pleading cry to keep oneself alive.

It sounded like a statement of fact.

His aim drifted off to the side as that thought entered into his head. The machine had tears running down it's face; it's eyes were so alive it scared him.

He knew that this was no ordinary machine. This was something else entirely, and that something else could only be one person.

Cameron, _his_ Cameron.

He lowered his rifle, despite years of training telling him not to, and met her face to face. His eyes searching hers for any glimpse of the Cameron he knew, for anything that might make him 100 percent sure.

What made him sure wasn't what he expected. He searched those eyes and didn't find the stoic, curious Cameron he once knew, but instead found someone who had changed just as much as he.

John struggled for a moment to even accept that, after so long it was hard to imagine he would see her face and hear her voice and know that it was Cameron saying those words.

He reached up with one hand and touched her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

"I've waited so long for that". Cameron whispered as she opened her eyes.

"Cameron"?

She smiled as his voice filled her audio receptors for the first time in nearly a year, making her completely content.

"I'm sorry". She said as her head dipped in shame at causing him such pain.

"I forgive you". He had a long time ago. She looked back up at him with surprise on her face.

"You do"?

He nodded, and wanted to continue this, but right now he knew that they needed to get off this ship.

"It's time to go Cameron". He said softly as he stroked her cheek one more time before dropping his hand.

She wasn't happy with the loss of contact, but she knew he was right.

There was still work to be done.

"Where's Allison"? She asked, knowing the young woman was in the room. John's slight smile disappeared almost instantly before he bent down and picked up his friend's battered body.

He turned back to Cameron and saw the shock in her eyes, and he wondered if it was because it reminded her of what she'd done, or because it didn't.

"I don't understand" Her face scrunched in confusion as she scanned her.

_"She's not in good shape Cameron, I predict she won't last longer than a few days"_. Cortana said to her internally as the shock of the young woman's condition passed.

"They've got Weaver, we need to find her". John said as he listened for any sounds, but heard nothing.

It was too quiet around here for his tastes.

Suddenly the lights flickered and stabilized. They did so again and again, causing Cameron to tip her head in confusion.

"It's a power drain". She said simply before her eyes widened in horror. "John, we need to go now"!

John didn't bother to ask, he'd learned that when someone smarter than you says to move, you do so.

"Weaver's below deck in cryo storage, but I can't risk taking you down there". She said, puzzled as to how to solve this enigma until Cortana gave her a perfect solution.

She took Allison from him and climbed up to the flight deck with John behind her. Once there she jogged over to the HK she'd taken over and pulled off an armored panel after setting the young woman down.

HK's actually had decent amount of empty space in their center fuselage, enough room to fit her and John in.

"Get in, I'm going to remote pilot the HK". She said as positioned Allison in behind the main CPU. John looked at her for a moment before getting in. She replaced the panel and got on top.

She got Cortana to pilot the HK while she calculated the jump she would make once they made a hole in one of the lower deck's hull plating. They took off and hovered next to the room where Weaver was being held.

The HK's plasma cannon fired and melted through the steel, Cameron jumped through the hole with precision and rolled into the room. She drew her sword almost immediately as she searched for threats, but there were none.

She put the weapon away and quickly strode over to the cryo freezer. Cameron tore away the locks and shut off the circulation pumps keeping the T-1001 frozen.

Cameron knew she needed to speed up this process or the Kraken that was closing in would kill them first. She put the sword away and drew the phaser and set it to a low setting, just enough to thaw Weaver and not damage her.

She fired a triple salvo that hit her frozen mass in three different spots to even the heat distribution. Weaver quickly thawed and began to slowly rise from her icy prison.

Cameron wisely put her weapon down as Weaver formed her basic shape.

"What do you want"? She said in her Scottish accent with plenty of malice laced in. Apparently she thought she was a Skynet machine.

"I onced asked you if you would join us, you said no. When you asked, I accepted". Cameron said, hoping Weaver would understand.

Weaver's body rippled for moment, and then turned into her Resistance look.

"About time you showed up. Where's my son"? She asked as she stepped out of the cryo freezer.

"He got me here, he's where ended up". She didn't look like she believed her. "He told me to tell you that you spent your 300,000 well".

"I see". She said as an acceptance of the message.

"We need to leave, I already have John and Allison in a hijacked HK". Cameron said as she brought the HK close to their position.

Weaver raised an eyebrow at that, but went along for now. Suddenly Cameron's expression changed, causing Weaver to worry.

"We have surface to air missiles incoming from a Kraken". She said with worry lacing her voice as she brought the HK higher and tore off a panel. "John, we have missiles incoming"! She yelled, prompting the young man to hand an unconscious Allison to her before jumping through the hole in the ship.

Just in time too, the missiles broke the water and headed straight for the HK as it veered away from the ship. The explosion knocked John off his feet, but was caught by Weaver as they headed deeper into the ship.

More missiles began striking the vessel, tearing apart the superstructure. Lights flickered and some blew out from overload, but that didn't deter them as continued to a destination that only Cameron knew of.

"Where are you taking us"? Weaver demanded as the cyborg kicked a steel door off its hinges.

"There was a power drain earlier, every time it happened I detected a subspace signal, I believe Skynet has created a matter/energy transporter".

That caused looks of confusion to cross both John's and Weaver's face.

"A transporter? Like from those old sci-fi shows"? John asked as Cameron kicked yet another door in.

"Yes". She said as they entered a rather large room filled with strange machines.

In the center of it was a pad with a ton of equipment attached to the ceiling and lots of big, thick wires attached to both the base and the top.

Cameron handed Allison to John as she began examining the equipment, the ship shaking all the while as the missiles tore it apart.

_"We need to hurry before it gets into torpedo range"_. Cortana said privately to Cameron as both worked furiously to bypass the security. Luckily the link to Skynet had been cut when the tower got taken out.

With Cortana's help, she was through it in ten seconds flat and began reviewing the specs to make sure it was safe for organic travel. She was immensely relieved that it was, but was horrified as she recognized the configuration.

It had been derived from a 24 century Romulan design.

The shock of that passed quickly and she put in the coordinates to their destination.

_"Torpedoes incoming"!_ Cortana yelled inside Cameron's head as the machine double timed it onto the pad.

"Quickly, we've got incoming torpedoes"! She yelled to the two motionless figures standing their with bewildered looks on their faces. Weaver and John snapped out their stupors and got onto the pad.

The machine charged before enveloping them in a swirl of green light. It took several seconds, but they were long gone before the _Nimitz_ class carrier was torn to shreds by a half dozen torpedoes.

* * *

Back at Ziera base, things weren't going so well.

About thirty minutes after the machine left, Skynet attacked out of nowhere. T-888's appeared outside their base without any warning, and when they tried to escape down several of the tunnels, only for more machines greeted them.

The worst thing that happened was that a machine had appeared in the midst of it all posing as Allison. Derek had remembered Cameron's warning about what Skynet might be doing with John and Allison and had challenged her as soon as she approached.

The machine's face had gone rigid and looked rather pissed at being discovered. Derek tried getting off a shot in the midst of the confusion, but was forced to change targets at the last second to save Kyle from getting flanked.

The machine had used that second to pull out a strange weapon that looked like a pirate's pistol. The machine shot Marty in the chest before turning its attention to him.

Derek managed to dodge the shot and got off a wild one of his own. He moved again as the machine fired and got behind cover before it did so again. A quick glance at Marty told him he was dead, a gaping hole in chest where his heart used to be.

He gritted his teeth in anger and popped out of cover long enough to get a few shots off at the Allison look-alike. The machine got hit twice in the abdomen and once in the chest, but it merely vaporized the flesh. The metal underneath was completely intact. He was stunned just long enough for the terminator to grin devilishly and fire at him.

Years of combat were enough for him to dive to the side, but the round hit the rock in front of him, causing it to explode into superheated fragments. The hot shrapnel embedded itself in his shoulder, sending searing pain throughout his entire shoulder.

He immediately lost control of his arm, causing him to drop his rifle and grit his teeth in pain. He knew that he wasn't going to stay conscious long, the pain seemed to grow by the second.

Despite his impending death at the hands of a machine, all he cared about was his brother's safety and the safety of those under him, but he knew that was a pipe dream.

Skynet had them boxed in with no way out.

As the blackness slowly claimed him, he wished he had left long before John and Allison were captured.

* * *

The TDE room at Ziera Corps ruins was dark, only light up from time to time with the flash of plasma fire as the bolts raced up and down the corridors. The cries of men getting shot and sounds of metal feet marching filled the room more often than not.

That was until the room was lit up by green light and whirring sounds for a moment before everything grew quiet once more.

Cameron was the first to gain situational awareness, she being the only one of them who had been transported before, and with Cortana's constant vigilance she quickly realized what had happened in her absence.

Skynet had attacked in force, and if these scans were correct, they were beamed in by the same transporter as they.

The scans also told her that there were few humans left, if they were to save any, and she was sure John wanted to, then she had to act now.

"John, Weaver, you stay and guard Allison and the TDE, I'll see if I can save anyone". She as she handed John the phaser and Weaver the energy sword hilt.

"John, just aim and pull the trigger". She said to him before turning her attention to Weaver. "Flick your wrist and the blade will activate". She said simply as her arms turned into plasma cannons, causing John's eyes to widen and Weaver to raise one red eyebrow.

"I'll be back". She said as she ran down the corridor.

"It seems we've missed a lot". Weaver said pointedly as she activated the energy sword.

John looked at the familiar looking rifle and nodded in agreement before moving Allison's unconscious form to cover.

Weaver decided to be proactive and took guard by the outermost door to the chamber, but detected no machines. John did the same as he flipped over one of the tool benches and took aim at the door from behind it.

Cameron, meanwhile, was catching up to the trip-eights currently decimating the human soldiers and civilians. When she spotted the first one, she didn't hesitate to fire at its chip. Her aim was true and it vaporized the entire endoskull. She quickly spotted another and terminated it just as quickly.

Once past these two, she looked for survivors, but found none. She continued forward and killed several more machines but still found no surviving humans. Cortana mapped out the last group of humans in the center of the base, she noted the cyborg that was currently closest to the humans position was not like the others.

It seemed by now that there were relatively few machines left, no more than four remained in the battle. She reasoned that was due to her slaughter of the machines on the ship.

As she neared, she noted yet another human die and other wounded, now there was only one left. Cameron ran around the corner and into the room where the last human was taking on the machines by himself.

It didn't surprise her that it was Kyle Reese who had taken down three of the five remaining machines.

Now there was only two, just one T-888 and her successor. Before anyone knew of her presence, Cameron had killed the T-888 with a plasma round to the skull.

The other was quicker than she thought and turned its attention to her. It sidestepped her plasma round and countered with a shot from a Romulan disruptor.

Cameron managed to dive out of the way thanks to Cortana's early warning and did a somersault behind cover. She popped up in a different spot and fired a shot at the machine who she tracked via tricorder sensors in her head and hit the machine in the chest, sending it into the concrete wall behind it.

She stood up slowly while Kyle eyed her suspiciously for a moment before turning his attention to the machine who was embedded in the concrete.

Cameron was still confused as to how this machine was made of tritanium. It was the same material that many starships were made out of. The Skynet of her future was no where close to this knowing how to make it. It provided further proof that Skynet had access to technology from another universe.

Cameron stepped out of cover, constantly scanning the machine for activity, but she found that it was remote controlled by a subspace datalink.

In other words, it was being directly controlled by Skynet.

She charged her cannons fully and intended to melt the machine down till it was nothing but liquid tritanium, but Skynet's avatar beat her to the punch and shot her with the disrupter at point blank range.

Cameron had never truly felt pain before, but she quickly realized why so many humans sought to escape it at any cost.

The disruptor bolt tore through her abdominal armor like it was paper and quickly began to spread it's destructive energy throughout her systems, causing massive feedback that nearly overloaded her neural net.

She stumbled back from the shot as she cried out in pain. Her body quickly cut all communication with the damaged region and those below it to prevent further damage, causing her to fall as her legs gave way.

Kyle took the opportunity to unleash his plasma rifle on automatic, something they never did due to ammo shortages. He was only 6 feet from the machine, and his tried and true aim did not once miss the machine's head as it snapped back time after time as the plasma ate away at the super metal. He did not stop until the machine's head was nothing but molten slag.

His rifle stopped firing as the iridium magazine ran dry. He pulled it out and slapped in his last one as he checked the room's entrances for more machines, but found none.

He checked on Cameron first since she was closest, she was on the floor with a hand on her abdomen.

"You alright"? He asked calmly as he breathed out his pent up anger and adrenaline out of his nose.

"No, but I'll live". She said with what he thought was pain in her voice, but ignored it as he moved on to his brother, the rest he knew was dead. His shoulder wound wasn't bleeding and he had a steady pulse. He let out a sigh of relief as he dug around in the room for the old med kit. As he was searching, he heard footsteps coming down the hall.

He quickly got behind cover and positioned himself towards the door.

"It's Weaver, she won't hurt you". Cameron said evenly, but Kyle could still hear that hint of something else in her voice.

"You won't mind if I don't take your word for it". He said with his eyes totally focused on the door.

She chose not to respond as the redheaded terminator walked into the room with the energy sword attached to her hip, deactivated.

"If I wanted to kill you I would have done so two years ago". She said dryly as she walked past Kyle and straight to Cameron. She quickly noted the hole in her abdomen and the pained look on her face.

"What happened"? She asked as she knelt down next to her.

"Skynet had a Romulan disruptor, I don't know how it got it". She scrunched her eyes closed as Weaver heard something spark inside Cameron's body.

"You're talking about fictional technology". Weaver said pointedly, she knew enough from her conversations with her geeky staff to know. Cameron surprised Weaver with a small chuckle.

"Where John Henry and I ended up, so are you and I". She said as gritted her teeth against yet another wire short circuiting. Weaver's eyebrows raised a bit before picking the obviously paralysed cyborg up.

"Mr. Reese, I suggest bringing your brother to the TDE room, we'll be able to defend it better".

He chose not to argue and pulled his heavy brother over his shoulders before following Weaver.

Back in the TDE room, John was checking Allison's condition and it was the same as before.

Bad.

He'd have Weaver coat her in MPA to prevent infection from taking hold in her numerous wounds, but the internal damage was severe. It made him clench his fists in anger as he swore to never allow Skynet to get their hands on anyone he cared about again.

He swung around with the rifle raised as he heard heavy footsteps approaching, ready for anything but the sight of Weaver carrying Cameron in her arms.

"Is everything clear"? He asked anxiously as he put the rifle down. She nodded as he rushed over to assess Cameron's condition.

Before he even got there, she answered his unspoken question.

"I'll live John, I'll be fine". She looked at him with misty brown eyes as her hands covered her gruesome wound.

Weaver set her down on the floor, knowing that her weight was too great for the flimsy workbenches. John knelt down next to her with worry gleaming in his eyes, but before he spoke, he looked back at Weaver.

John reached down and tried to move Cameron's hand away from the seared sheath. She nearly moaned at the contact of his hand on hers, it had been something she had wanting to do since reactivating in this new body.

Actually, it was one of the many things she wanted to do with John.

John noticed that her body relaxed at his touch and that she seemed to look less tense. He didn't say anything for a moment, mainly because he just didn't know what to.

Cameron seemed to be in the same predicament as he, or she was content with him laying his hand on hers and staring into his eyes. John guessed it was the latter, Cameron was rarely lost for words when she had something to say.

God he had missed her... but there were so many things to say, so many things that needed resolved between them.

He cleared his throat finally just as Kyle walked into the room with Derek tossed over his shoulder. John looked at him briefly for a moment before turning back to Cameron, failing to notice the look his pseudo father was giving him. John began taking in all the changes in his beloved cyborg, and there seemed to be a lot he had missed.

Her breathing was something he found fascinating as he watched her chest rise and fall. He noticed earlier how expressive she was, far more than she had ever been, but at the same time maintaining that she was not human, and yet more than a simple machine.

He also wondered where she got this body, he'd seen only part of what it could do, but he knew it was far more advanced than the last.

Cameron tilted her head a little to the side, her mouth opening a bit before she spoke.

"You don't know what to say, but I do". She said softly as she wrapped her fingers around his hand. "You want to know why I left".

John swallowed a lump in his throat as he found his voice.

"Yeah, I've asked myself that once or twice".

She looked away for a second, ashamed by the pain that she caused him.

"I left because I was danger John, I was becoming increasingly ly unstable from the chip damage. It was only a matter of time before I would have lost control again". She explained slowly and softly as he stroked her small hand.

"And there was nothing I could do"?

"No". She said quietly. "It's why I gave you the watch, it's why I decided to save John Henry".

The John of two years ago probably would have stomped off in anger or some equally immature display, but now he just nodded. He completely understood why she did what she did. Being in this future had changed him in ways he couldn't have imagined before, but now he understood how Derek felt and why Cameron protected him so fiercely.

They both knew what lay ahead and tried to warn him, but he had needed a reality check, and he couldn't have asked for a better one.

"I get it, you did what you always do". He said back as he continued to stroke her hand. "You do what you think is best for me".

Cameron looked mildly surprised for a moment, sending a pang of guilt into John for being so mean to her in the past.

"Where were you? We waited... we didn't think we'd ever find either of you". He said as the thought of losing her forever chilled his heart.

"It's a long story, suffice it to say that John Henry and I were stuck in another universe, one where you and I are only a story. It took us ten months to build a machine to get us home, but John Henry had to stay behind to control it".

"This was as close as you could get"? John asked with a raised eyebrow, not understanding why she appeared two years after the fact.

"Trying to lock onto the right timeline and temporal coordinates in our universe was difficult, we needed an anchor. Marty accidentally turned the machine on and we were able to track the signal it sent into the space time continuum". She explained, hoping he understood how difficult it had been getting back.

John nodded his head slowly, he understood for the most part.

"I missed you" He said quietly, he didn't need any more explanations. Right now he just wanted to spend time with her.

Cameron tilted her head for a moment, but not because of anything he did.

"Someone wants to meet you". She said with a small smile as she leaned up and held her brown hair back and reached for something at the base of her skull. John's eyebrows scrunched together at the strange action, and was even more surprised when she brought out a palm sized device in her hand.

"What is that"? He asked as he took it from her.

"A friend". She said as the golden lines on part of the device lit up. John nearly jumped out of his skin when a small blue figure popped out of the chip in a flash of light.

"Hello John, it's nice to meet you". Cortana said with a smile on her face.

"Uh, Cameron"? He asked in utter confusion.

"You've played _Halo_, you should know who that is".

"The video game you got me for my 17th birthday"? John asked with confusion still adorning his scruffy face.

"Yes, and I'm down here mister, I don't like being ignored". She huffed with her arms crossed and a blue eyed glare fixed on his green ones.

Despite himself, John laughed. To hear such words coming from an AI's mouth was almost too much for him.

"I remember you, you're Cortana". He said with an amused grin on his face. Cameron noted it was the first time she'd heard him laugh in a long while.

"Bingo"! She said as she pumped on blue fist in the air. "You know, Cameron's told me a lot about you".

John gulped, he didn't even want to know what Cameron had told the AI.

"I think you two still have a lot of talking to do, right now though I need to talk to your liquid metal friend". She said in a more serious tone and a pointed look that bounced between John and Cameron both.

John nodded and handed her to Weaver who had heard her name summoned. Once she was handed off, John turned his attention back to Cameron.

"Is that really..."?

"It is. We found her on a storage device from another universe".

He moved closer to her head, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Seems like you've been busy".

"You could say that". She said with a wry smile. "What about you? I've noticed that you and Weaver get along".

John scratched his head as he thought about T-1001.

"Yeah, she's become a good friend. She's saved my life many times over Cameron".

"She knows how important you are".

John let out a sigh, knowing how many times Weaver had nearly gotten herself killed protecting him.

"So... what are we doing next"? He asked, he honestly had no clue as to what they were going to do next.

Cameron shifted her gaze as she eavesdropped on Cortana and Weaver's conversation.

"It appears as though we're going to use the TDE to escape. My interdimensional beacon is deprived of power right now which means he can't extract us".

"And it's too dangerous to stay here". He figured as he looked around the room briefly. "I'm sure mom won't be too happy to you". He said with a small smile.

"I think Kyle will keep her mind off of me". Cameron said with a similar expression. "You do want to take them right"?

He simply nodded before explaining.

"We need good soldiers to stop Skynet. Kyle, Derek, and Allison are the best in this base".

He noticed that she winced a little at Allison's name.

"I didn't do that". She said softly as she averted her eyes. "I didn't torture the Allison I killed".

John let out a sigh.

"I didn't think so, machines weren't built to be cruel". He said with an upturn of the lips.

"Not most, but a machine did that to her". She paused as she let John absorb that bit of info. "It was Skynet, it was directly controlling the body, I detected the signal".

"What"? John managed to get out as the shock of that set in. "Skynet itself tortured Allison"? He finished a little louder than intended.

That got Kyle's and Weaver's attention.

"Yes, a high speed data link connected it to Skynets servers".

She saw him thinking that over, and she also realized that they needed to get going, there was a lot to do.

"John, we can finish this when we get back, right now we need to focus". She said tonelessly, but John knew that wanted to continue, but it was simply unsafe to.

He couldn't agree more, it was time to go home.

Since Cameron was paralyzed, she was tasked with running constant scans to watch out for the counter attack that was bound to come and finish the job. Cortana was project leader, despite Kyle's and Weaver's misgivings about taking orders from her.

Kyle patched his brother up and checked on Allison, he didn't notice the MPA because it had blended into her skin. John worked with Weaver to pull the remaining T-888 cells that were needed to finish the machine.

Thirty minutes later and the machine was finished. With the overabundance of T-888 power cells, it hadn't taken Weaver long to tie them in.

After a diagnostic run, Weaver and Cortana both agreed that the TDE was ready to roll as the quirky blue AI had put it.

Kyle Reese had his reservations though. He wasn't going to put his brother in this thing without some sort of game plan.

"What exactly are we going to do"? He asked John face to face, he being the only one he remotely trust out of those actually awake.

"We go back to April, 2009 to escape Skynet, fix Cameron's beacon and go get John Henry. Then we go from there". John said as he walked back over to Cameron.

She had been listening to their conversation and knew that he was here to get her.

"John, you can't lift me by yourself". She said as her brown eyes locked with his, her eyes were sparkling with amusement.

John chuckled to himself before giving Kyle a look.

Together, they picked up Cameron's 300lb body and moved her over to the TDE pad. They laid her on the floor, John staying by her side while Kyle went to get Derek.

Weaver brought over Allison and laid the young woman's unconscious body next to Cameron's.

"We need to wake them up". John said quietly as he stared down at Allison's face. "They might not believe what happened unless they experience it". John said wisely as he looked over at Weaver.

"I don't know if waking Allison up in her condition is wise, but I agree that we should wake Derek". She said as she finished typing in the last sequence.

"Alright, wake Derek". John ordered, causing Kyle to give him a look.

He was supposed to be commanding officer, but let it go in light of their current situation.

Kyle took his canteen and dumped the water out of it onto his brother's scruffy face. The thirty-four year old Lieutenant woke with a start and tried lashing out at the nearest thing to him which just happened to be his brother. Lucky for him, Kyle caught his brother's fist and deflected it, causing the wounded shoulder to which it was attached to cry out in pain. Derek gritted his teeth in pain as he clutched the wound and his back went to the floor.

Once he managed to calm himself, he immediately took in his surroundings. They locked onto the first familiar thing he saw, his brother.

"Kyle". His face showed immense relief as he looked around at the group in the room. "What the hell happened"?

Kyle explained as sadness crossed his face. "Cameron saved us, along with John and Allison, the rest of the base..."

"We're all that's left"? He asked as he tried to sit up, that only bought him another round of pain from his shoulder. "Help me up". He asked and Kyle pulled him up by his good arm.

Derek saw Cameron lying on the floor with a hole in her stomach, but he wasn't concerned about her. He saw John next who was staring at him with an undefinable look on his face. He was going to have a conversation with him later.

A very long conversation, but for now, he had greater concerns.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted Allison next to Cameron, unaware of her condition.

Then he spotted Cortana across the room with whom he could only guess was the T-1001 judging from the description Cameron had given him.

"What's the situation"? He asked his brother.

"We're going back in time Derek, the machine's finished. They wanted you conscious to make your decision".

"I don't know, what other choice do we have"? The soldier said as he glanced at John.

"You don't. If we go back, there's a chance we can stop Skynet forever". John said as he handed Weaver the phaser rifle. She promptly disassembled it and absorbed it into her body along with the Covenant energy sword so they could bring them through the TDE.

"Hey, it's not going to be that simple John, Skynet has access to advanced Romulan tech, it may end up pulling the same trick us". Cortana explained from her perch on the TDE control panel.

"Romulan"? Derek asked confused.

"The Star Trek equivalent to the USSR, and if my suspicion is correct, we're in big trouble. We need to get Cameron repaired and get back to John Henry". Cortana's voice was filled with urgency and worry, and despite the fact that Derek knew very little about the old sci-fi series, he understood that it was bad news.

"She's right John, this situation just got even more complicated, we need to leave now". Cameron said as the same urgency shown through in her voice. She turned her head to Derek and continued. "It's now or never, Skynet's counterattack will be here in ten minutes".

Derek pressed his lips into a thin line for a moment, but his mind had been made up.

"Let's do it". He said simply. "What do we have to do"?

John answered him as he picked up Cortana and handed her back to Cameron. "Unlike the one Cameron used, this one will only allow Weaver and living tissue encased objects through, so we'll be naked when we arrive". John explained as he picked up Allison and Weaver, Cameron. They were forced to hold them in a standing position so everyone would fit.

Kyle said nothing and threw his weapon aside and stepped into the circle outlined on the floor by previous incursions. Derek did the same and everyone pressed together.

"We ready"? John asked and received a resounding yes. Weaver didn't wait and hit the execute button with a tentacle.

"This thing set to overload after we're gone"? John yelled as the noise got louder.

"Of course". She said evenly but gave him an irritated glare.

"No room for mistakes, I have a feeling this is our last chance". John said just before the bubble collapsed.

* * *

**A/N: So... What did you think?**

**A good place to start Jameron off? Not too mushy and not skimming over it.**

**As soon as things wind down a bit, John and Cameron will have some alone time to work things out.**


	16. Blast to the Past

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: Enjoy.**

**Chapter 16: Blast to the Past**

**April 10, 2009. TDE Room, 11 am. 15 minutes after departure.**

Sarah Connor stood in the basement of Ziera Corp looking for anything else she needed to destroy or remove, her shotgun loaded with enough double aught to shred someone to pieces.

Cameron's body was already loaded in Ellison's trunk, which ironically enough already had a deactivated machine in it, the same one that had killed Derek.

She'd burn the the one, but Cameron's... she wasn't sure what to do with it yet.

Right now there was sensitive equipment that needed to be FUBARed. Sarah decided that the the Turk would go first. That black box had caused her family more trouble than it was worth. She leveled the reloaded shotgun at it and fired. She felt immense satisfaction seeing it torn to shreds before turning her scatter gun onto the controls for the TDE.

As the weapon ran dry again, Ellison ran into the room with his pistol held at the ready.

"Sarah, we need to go, there's intruders making their way through the building"! He yelled from the doorway as watched out for intruders. Everything was clear for now, but he'd bet a years salary that they knew exactly where the server farms were.

"We can't let them find the time machine"! She yelled as her head twisted back toward him. She was just about to unload more buckshot into the servers when a gunshot rang out.

The metal above Ellison's head sparked as the 9mm FMJ round bounced off the door frame. He dropped to one knee and returned fire.

He dived back into the room as a hail of automatic fire slammed into the spot he'd just been occupying. Sarah was already turning over the metal table and covering the door from behind it.

"Get behind something"! She yelled as she finished loading shells.

Ellison scrambled off the floor and behind one of the server towers as the intruders made their way down the hall.

Suddenly Sarah's hair stood on end, the air filled with static electricity. Sarah had only felt that way when standing next to a charging time bubble.

Oh god.

She ran as fast as she could towards the back of the room as the walls were lit up by a bright blue flash and trembled from the thunderous roar.

Sarah was forced to the floor by a pressure wave as the displacement bubble formed. She crawled desperately on her knees to get away from the lightning that was singing everything in sight.

Once it was gone, both Sarah and Ellison both recovered and pointed their weapons at the new arrivals.

Neither could believe what they saw.

In the middle of a smoldering ring was a group of naked people, all splayed out on the floor save one.

The one that was kneeling had fiery red hair and alabaster skin gave her away before she ever moved a liquid metal muscle.

Catherine Weaver.

The rest pulled themselves off the floor except two brunette women.

Sarah nearly froze when three very familiar men rose from the floor.

The first she recognized was her son, despite the scruff and scars that now marred his body.

Next was Derek Reese, though she was smart enough to know it wasn't the same one that died two days ago.

The last made her breath hitch.

Kyle Reese.

It took about a second for her to remember that this wasn't the same Kyle who came back in time for her.

"Sarah"!

Ellison's deep voice broke her out of her daze as a mercenary entered the room with his MP5 pointed at her.

He was just milliseconds from firing, but a metal spear had other plans for the merc as it severed his spinal cord at the base of his skull, preventing him from pulling the trigger.

The man slumped to the floor after said spear retracted.

"Nice trick". Derek said as his hand covered his modesty.

Weaver was already dressed for business as she fished out the phaser rifle and sword hilt.

"Thank you Mr. Reese". She said as she handed John the rifle. "After I take care of these intruders, I'll find you some clothes". She said as she marched out of the room, flicking on the energy sword as she walked out of the room.

It took a moment for Sarah and Ellison to recover from Weaver's display of battle prowess before they focused on the new arrivals.

"John". Sarah said as she approached him. John used the phaser rifle to cover himself.

"Uh, mom".

She looked at him for a moment before she fully realized what he meant.

"Oh, sorry". She said as she looked away.

A few screams from down the hall followed by the sound of sizzling flesh interrupted the moment before Kyle spoke.

"I'm glad she's on our side". He said with a small smirk as he looked around for something to cover up with.

Sarah suddenly had a moment of deja vu as her mind transported her back to 1983.

As she stared at this stranger, this new Kyle, she pictured him with a green trench coat, high tops and a shotgun with it's stock cut off staring at her with his calm eyes as he explained to her the horrors of the future from which he came.

"Mom". John broke her out of it as he shook her shoulder. She looked around and saw that the men were dressed in janitor's jumpsuits.

She'd spaced out for over two minutes, for which she chided herself mentally. Weaver had come back in that space with clothing and the men had gotten dressed.

"Sorry, it's just..." She stole another glance at Kyle as he zipped up his jumpsuit.

"I know mom, he was one of the first people I met in the future". He said with an understanding smile on his face. John turned his gaze downward and met Cameron's brown eyes as she stared at him.

"You look like you could use some help". He said as he looked at her body. As soon as his eyes met her shapely body he instantly averted them to the ceiling. Sarah couldn't miss the blush spreading on his cheeks.

Sarah looked down and saw a naked Cameron about four feet from her.

"Tin Miss". She said a little icily. "Can't get dressed yourself now princess"? She said with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

The machine returned her cold stare with one of her own.

"I'm paralyzed". She said as she pulled herself into a sitting position. "I need someone to lift my legs so I can get this on". She finished with something reminiscent of a pout. Sarah didn't know it, but Cameron had lost her low grade MPA clothing in the TDE. It wasn't designed to emit the field that the machine locked onto to transport it.

Weaver looked over and knew that Sarah wasn't going to oblige and that John would just end up with a blood flow problem.

She realized that it would be best if she resolved the situation herself. After setting Cameron in the chair fully dressed, the T-1001 gave an smirk in Sarah's direction.

"Now who's the bi..."

"Catherine, not now". John said before Weaver could finish. "We need to leave, I'd bet the fire department come down here last, but we need to leave now". He said as he picked up the phaser rifle once more.

"He's right, I'm already detecting law enforcement moving into the lower levels". Cameron said with her head tilted.

"How do you know that"? Ellison asked with confusion evident on his face.

"This new body has highly advanced sensors". She explained as she shifted her gaze to Derek. The Lieutenant was currently tending to his adoptive sister's state of dress.

"How is she"? John asked Cameron, knowing she was probably scanning her.

"Better, but she won't last". She said as a minute amount of worry for the girl seeped into her voice.

"Who"? Sarah asked as she moved to see this mystery girl better.

What she saw almost gave her a heart attack.

_'Oh god, not two of them'_

That thought was quickly countered by the girls breathing and unconscious condition. She turned to John for answers.

"She's human"?

"Cameron had to have been based off of someone mom". He said simply as gazed at the cyborg sitting in the same chair he found her body in. He remembered the last time he saw her in that chair, and vowed to never let that happen again.

Weaver carried Cameron and Derek carried Allison. John took up the rear with the phaser as they made their way to the stairs that would lead them to the garage.

Sarah and Ellison were up front since they knew where they were going.

"I'll take John and you three". She said pointing to the Reese boys and Allison. "The rest can go with Ellison".

"No". Cameron protested immediately. "I will not leave John".

"You can't protect him". Sarah pointed out almost triumphantly.

Cameron only smirked as her arms withdrew their sheath and turned into plasma weapons. Sarah stumbled at the sight before turning around in defeat.

"You didn't have to do that". John said as he walked up beside her.

"Yes I did, I'm tired of being insulted by her". She said as anger creased her brow, this took John by surprise. He didn't know she had felt that way about any of the opinions Sarah nor Derek held for her.

Maybe it was only about the ones that pertained to her ability to protect him. He shrugged off the thought for now as they entered the garage.

Two men that looked similar to the one that Weaver had killed in the TDE room. Both raised their weapons at them without uttering a word.

Sarah and Ellison opened fire first before John opened fire with the strange rifle he possessed.

The yellow energy shot out of the weapon at high speed and slammed into the first one, knocking him out. The second quickly followed his partner as John followed up.

Then someone who wasn't wearing armor walked towards them with an MP5 in one hand and a Glock 19 in the other. The look in it's eyes was one John was intimately familiar with, but Cameron had warned them about a possible machine in the lot before they had entered.

Turns out she had been right.

Before the machine could even fire, John unleashed a fury of heavy stun rounds, hoping they'd be enough to take him down.

It stumbled for a moment before it finally fell.

"John, conserve the power cell, I'll finish it". Cameron said as she pointed one of her cannons at the downed machine. "Everyone get behind cover"! She shouted, knowing that the shrapnel that would come off would be deadly.

Once they were safe, she fired.

When the rest got out from behind cover they just stared at her in different emotions. Sarah and Ellison were in fear while Kyle and Derek considered how useful such a weapon could have been in the future. Weaver was slightly envious, but John was in awe of her.

"Are we ready to go"? Cameron asked as the rest of them shook off their amazement and headed towards the cars.

Kyle went with Ellison and Weaver while Derek, Allison, Cameron, and John went with Sarah. They agreed to meet at a motel in Van Nuys that Ellison once stayed at and was also one that Sarah knew about.

They left the parking lot with squealing tires as they made their getaway. Lucky them the police weren't paying attention at the moment.

About ten minutes later Sarah finally broke the silence as she glanced at John.

"Are you okay"?

He looked at her for a second before turning his level gaze back out the windshield.

"I'm fine mom, but Cameron and Allison aren't". He said pointedly as he glanced back at them.

"I'll heal John, this body repairs itself". Cameron said as she locked her eyes with his. "I'll be able to walk by the time we get to the motel".

John was immensely relieved, now he didn't have to worry about cumulative damage anymore. It had been a major concern of his after he noticed Cameron's hand malfunctioning.

"What else can you're new body do? Fly"? He chuckled.

"Yes". She deadpanned with a smile. "All the way into space".

Sarah sucked in a breath. How the heck was she supposed to stop her if she went bad when she could compete with the freakin space shuttle?

Derek grunted in his seat while John's eyes widened to saucer size.

"Space"?

"Yes, my maximum velocity is 17,000 miles per hour". She stated proudly, but noticed at the same time that Sarah was getting nervous, possibly scared.

"You think I'm an even greater threat". She stated evenly, but John thought she was talking to him.

"I don't". His face was a picture of confusion.

"Not you, Sarah". She said as her gaze lingered on the back of the woman's headrest.

John turned to his mom and instantly picked up on her nervousness. He understood why, he knew that if Cameron went bad again it would most likely result in his death.

Sarah didn't do anything but grit her teeth and swallow the lump forming in her throat.

Cameron let a smile come out as she attempted to relieve the woman's worry.

"You don't have to worry Sarah, I can't go bad anymore".

John twisted his head around so fast it was a blur. Sarah's reaction was a little more subtle. All she did was tighten her grip on the wheel. She didn't believe the cyborg at all.

"Really? How"? He asked as curiosity shown in his green eyes.

"John Henry deleted the Skynet base code and put something docile in its place". She paused as she watched John's reaction. He let a grin come over his face as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"You're in complete control"?

"More or less, I can be hacked only by direct chip access". She explained as she monitored Sarah's reaction to all this.

Yep, she still didn't believe her. She'd have to convince Sarah later.

"I won't let that happen, not again". He said with complete seriousness. Cameron knew that it was a promise he intended to keep to his dying breath, and that concerned her.

She chose not to say anything as he turned back towards the front, but instead decided to check on her partner in crime.

Cortana had been pretty silent for the most part, only speaking when they were in the middle of battle. Not unusual for her, she'd been known to go into silent spells when doing some hard core thinking.

_"Cortana"? _Cameron asked privately.

"_I'm here"._ She said in a bored voice.

_"You've been unusually quiet"._

_"I kinda want some action, family drama bores me"._ Cortana said with a fake yawn. _"But I don't mind stirring up the conversation"._ She said suggestively.

_"You are good at that". _Cameron said back as she began withdrawing the skin around the port.

She ejected her chip and pulled it out. The Data Crystal Chip rested in her hands as she waited for Cortana to make her appearance.

The UNSC AI did so a few seconds after being pulled and looked around. Sarah had noticed Cameron pulling something from her head and then the subsequent flash of blue light that came from the cell phone sized device.

"What the hell is that"? She turned around to see what was going on, and when her eyes met Cortana's blue figure, she froze.

"MOM"! John yelled as he grabbed the steering wheel and pulled the SUV back into their lane.

"Are you trying to get us killed! I think we should be more worried about you killing us than her"! Derek yelled from the back seat as he held Allison's body in place.

Cameron allowed an oh so small grin to cross her features for a brief second, but Cortana was irritated.

"I did not survive rampancy just to be killed in a car accident"! She chided the woman as her figure turned red from the anger. "No more talking until we get to the motel"!

Despite that two people in the car would rather die than take orders from a machine, the car stayed silent for the rest of the trip for the sake of getting there alive.

* * *

Once at the motel, both cars parked in the lot in different spots. Sarah chose a spot near the room they checked into so they could move Allison's unconscious form without anyone noticing.

True to her word, Cameron's endo had repaired itself enough to the point where she could walk. The cyborg carried Allison into the room as Derek followed closely behind.

John moved the SUV away from their room as a safety precaution while Sarah did a quick visual sweep of the area. Weaver, Ellison, and Kyle made their way into the adjacently joined room.

They met in the first group's room to discuss their next move.

Cameron stood guard at the window while Weaver checked up on Allison discretely. Cortana was sitting on the standard motel table by the window, her avatar sitting cross legged on it's surface.

"We need medical supplies for Allison". Weaver spoke first as she joined the circle in the middle of the room. "My nanites can only do so much". She explained, getting a concerned look from some of the humans.

"It's okay, she's healed a few of my worse wounds over the last two years". John assured them before turning to Weaver. "You'd have the best chance of getting them, plus you need to pick up Savannah later". John reminded her, though he didn't need to.

"I know, but we have a new problem. Kaliba will continue to target Savannah and I until they realize I'm a machine or they kill her".

"What are you saying"? Sarah asked with a shake of her head.

"What I'm saying Ms. Connor is that I want to disappear, I see no reason to continue putting Savannah in danger now that John Henry is out of the servers and once I withdraw the money from my personal accounts, we won't have to worry about money". She explained to the woman that John had often compared her too.

She still couldn't see the resemblance.

"So you actually care for the girl? I find that hard to believe". The doubt and sarcasm that filled Sarah Connor's voice wasn't missed by man or machine.

Weaver gave her a knowing smirk.

"It may come as a surprise to someone as close minded as you Sarah Connor, but know this". She stepped right into Sarah's face with her glare meeting Sarah's with equal force. "I do care for Savannah. Like I explained to Mr. Ellison and to your son, just because it may seem like I care for John Henry more, doesn't mean I do, but his survival is more important than hers or even mine. You can't tell me you've haven't sacrificed someone to keep John safe, because I know you have".

The T-1001 stepped back as the emotion played out on Sarah's face.

"She's right Sarah". Ellison said as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "You have sacrificed people, and so has she".

"You two aren't so different". Kyle said thoughtfully as he rubbed his scruffy face.

Hearing that from Kyle's mouth nearly broke Sarah right then and there. John and Cameron were the ones to catch it first, but the others picked up on Sarah's distress rather quickly.

"Next subject". She muttered as she discretely wiped the tears brimming in her eyes.

"Okay... moving on". Cortana said to break the awkward moment.

"Right, we also need food. We haven't had much to eat for months". John said as three stomachs growled almost simultaneously.

"A hot dog would be nice right about now". Derek said with a hungry look crossing his scruffy face.

"I'll take them to get some food". Cameron volunteered. "I'll make sure they don't over eat". She gave a pointed glare in John's direction to get her point across.

"Right, what about long term"? Ellison asked with his arms now crossed. His question was pointed at John, so he answered it.

"We can't really make long term plans until we get John Henry, he's stuck where he and Cameron ended up. Which was where exactly"? John asked as he turned his questioning stare towards her.

"The collapsed TDE bubble got caught in an interdimensional tunnel, one that carries objects traveling through any of the numerous subspace layers to another universe. We landed in a universe where all of us are nothing more than TV show characters".

"A TV show"? Derek asked as most in the room had looks of disbelief cross their faces, save Cortana. "You told us we were a story, not a TV show".

"At least you aren't a video game in two universes"! Cortana said as she stood on her chip.

"Wait, I know you're voice". Sarah said as she pointed a finger at Cortana. "I heard it when John was playing that game on his computer".

"Yes, the _Halo_ universe is what it's been dubbed". She said with a roll of her eyes. "I come after the seventh game, Halo 4, which wasn't released until 2012 in the other universe and thus never came out here". She explained despite the fact that most didn't know what she meant.

"Wait, if we're a TV show, then everyone in that universe knows things about us that no one else does". Sarah deduced, even though she didn't really believe what Cameron was saying yet.

"They do, some of our darkest secrets were revealed, things that surprised me, and some that didn't". She said as she turned her head from Sarah to Kyle and then to John.

That's when Sarah knew that she knew who John's father was.

Just when things couldn't get worse. Too bad she didn't realize that it didn't matter, this timeline had been solidified, killing Kyle Reese did nothing to John Connor's existence.

Cameron and Cortana explained in detail what happened, but did not go into the unnecessary ones, like they failed to mention what Federation starship they used to perfect the UDE and any details pertaining to Jim, also details about the TV show and the movies were kept from them.

In the end, they knew that they had a 24th century Federation starship, a farm in the Midwest, and the UDE. Needless to say, most had their jaws dropped when the full explanation was out.

"You have a starship capable of turning this planet's surface to glass and you didn't bring it"? Weaver asked with her arms crossed, not understanding their logic.

Cortana was the one who answered due to her greater expertise.

"The ship only came through because it was in slipstream, a travel technology similar to slipspace in my universe. The ship was being used as a remote test bed for the new tech and the tunnel caught it en route. The drive was damaged and we've been unable to repair it. Without the drive, it can't enter the tunnel".

"I see". Weaver planned to do some research on Star Trek history to confirm the details, but she didn't think there would be any discrepancies. The phaser rifle was all she really needed as proof for now.

Derek and Kyle didn't know much about the show apart from what they'd been told, but John and Sarah on the other hand knew a bit more.

John knew more due to his 'geek' nature, but Sarah knew about it from the shows that used to be on in the late 80's and early 90's. She'd catch them occasionally on TV and watch them with John, often wishing that humanity would get that far, that maybe the world wouldn't end and humanity would finally mature.

Apparently one version did, but not this one.

Once again, the phaser rifle was all the proof she needed for now to prove it, that and Cortana's modified chip. Sarah had touched her tiny body and saw that it was solid. John had told her enough about _Halo_ to know that the UNSC universe didn't have that technology yet. Cortana actually rebutted that to say that the Infinity was using something similar to first generation holodeck technology in its War Games room.

Also the energy sword was pretty convincing as well. The tech to make that was several hundred years beyond Skynet, and the Federation would have taken years to reverse engineer one.

It was one of the most complicated pieces of tech the Covenant had according to Cortana, and Sarah had to admit, it was pretty cool.

Kyle and Derek were taking this one moment at a time, most of this was unfamiliar to them, plus their world had been turned upside down multiple times in the last 24 hours in addition to being in the past.

They needed to get their bearings, the only person they remotely trusted besides Allison was John. This situation was getting stranger by the second and they were just going to have to roll with the punches for now.

These people had saved them, they had saved Allison, and most of all they wanted Skynet destroyed. The only hangnail was the fact that some of them were machines, but again, they had saved them on several occasions.

Trust was earned, and so far their actions had warranted further cooperation.

When the meeting was over, John decided to take Kyle with him and Cameron. They were the least two recognizable with John looking so different and his father being dead for over a quarter century.

That was until Cameron changed her hair and eye colors.

John's jaw flapped a bit at seeing a blond haired blue eyed Cameron.

"John, you're staring". Amusement laced the cyborgs voice despite her face holding her standard robot mask. It was her subtle way of telling John she thought he needed to stop staring at her in front of his mother.

John got the keys from Sarah, who wordlessly told him to be careful as he did.

The trio walked out the door and got into the tan SUV.

They were about to get into the car when Cameron put out her hand to John.

"I'm driving, you're two years out of practice". She explained. John gave her a slight smile and tossed her the keys. Kyle watched the exchange with concern. It was obvious to him that John cared for the cyborg, but he still wasn't sure if it deserved it or not. Cameron had saved his life along with his brother's and Allison's, but he wasn't sure if there had been an ulterior motive for it or not.

He sat in the seat behind John as he checked his new Glock 17 that John's mom had slipped him on the way out the door.

Apparently the woman didn't trust Cameron.

As they pulled out onto the road, Kyle took the chance to look at the city. Now that he didn't have a liquid metal machine making him nervous, he took a good look out the window to see LA as it was meant to be, not the ruined concrete landscape it was in the future.

He was taken by the cars and lights that moved, flashed, and made sounds that he couldn't remember, or didn't think he'd ever hear again.

"Turn on the radio". He said softly.

John turned around and saw that Kyle was staring out the window.

"What do you want to listen to"?

"It doesn't matter". He said simply as he met John's eyes. "I just want to hear music". He said as his gaze turned back out the window.

Cameron obliged the man and turned the radio to one of John's favorites.

The music came through the SUVs worn out speakers, and to Kyle, it was one of the most beautiful things he'd heard in a long time.

After J-day he'd listened to music only once or twice when the batteries or power were available, but now... well he was definitely getting an one of those iPod things he'd heard people mention over the years.

John too missed the rhythm and beat of his favorite songs. He turned back around and leaned back in his seat as the sunlight washed over him and the music fill his ears for the first time in over two years.

Cameron looked over at her charge and saw that he was enjoying the music as much as Kyle. She was happy that he was happy.

"Where do you want to eat"? She asked them as stopped at a light.

"Uhhh, something healthy and something that doesn't resemble rat". John joked, to which Kyle snorted a laugh. Rats were often the butt of jokes in the Resistance.

"I'll find somewhere that sells sandwiches". Cameron said as her attention returned to the road.

She knew the city well and found what she was looking for seconds later.

As soon as they stopped at the restaurant, they got out of the SUV, but Cameron immediately saw that the two boys, who hadn't bathed in who knows how long, would stick out like sore thumbs.

"John, you two need to stay in the car".

"Why"?

"Because you haven't taken a shower in two years". She deadpanned and entered the restaurant.

John stood still in shock for a moment before shaking his head in amusement.

"That's definitely Cameron". He said as he closed the door.

Kyle scooted behind the driver's seat before speaking his mind.

"We need to talk John".

John turned and looked at his alternate father with a knowing look.

"Yeah". He said with a sigh. "Hold on". John changed spots as climbed into the back next to him.

"What more did you want to know"?

Kyle took a moment to consider exactly what question he wanted to ask. Most had been answered so far, but some had not.

"When was I... the other me, sent back"? He said knowingly, though John didn't look surprised.

"1983, he saved my mom from a Model 101, he died a hero". John said simply, but also confirming something that Kyle had been wondering about. "And yeah, he was my father".

Kyle nodded slowly, the difference between expecting and knowing were turning out to be two very different things.

"So, you're my son"?

"No, you share a similar history with that Kyle, but you'll never be him, and I wouldn't want you to be". John seriousness was evident in his voice, and Kyle understood.

"Good, cause I'm not ready to have a kid". He joked as he spotted Cameron near the checkout. That prompted the next question he had in mind.

"What about Cameron? Why did you go after her"?

John looked nervous, but he knew that he was already busted in this arena. His display in front of Kyle back in the future was stupid on his part.

But he didn't care, he'd missed her.

"Because I couldn't stand to lose her too". He said as he stared at the currently blonde cyborg through the glass. "She's special, Kyle. Skynet couldn't make another one like her even if it tried".

"She told us that you cared about her more than she thought you did, she said that the only reason you jumped was because of her. Why"? Kyle made it clear that he wanted to hear what he already suspected straight from John's mouth.

John looked nervous for a moment, like a kid about to be told off by his mother.

"Kyle... I don't..."

"Yes you do". He said with a knowing look in his green eyes. "I can see it in your eyes John. I may not be your real father, but were still related, and Reese boys have tells". He pointed to John's face.

"We do"? Kyle nodded once.

"I don't understand how you can fall in love with one". He paused as he realized what John's counter argument would be. "Not just because Cameron is one, but because the machines have been after you all this time, plus she tried to kill you".

"It isn't because she's pretty either, if that's what it was you would have made a play for Allison by now". Kyle finished, thinking he covered all the excuses John would have.

John let out a sigh, the cat was out of the bag. He didn't deny that he was in love with Cameron, nor that she loved him, but how did he explain it to a Resistance soldier?

"She's special Kyle, I've known that since the moment I met her".

"What makes her so special"? He asked. "I know she seems to have... emotions, but those can be faked John, we've both seen it".

It took John a moment to figure out how to explain this.

"Did we tell you about the time she went bad"?

"Derek said something about you mentioning it on the way to the motel".

"I didn't fix her, she fixed herself. What kind of machine does that"? John challenged.

"One that's programmed to". He said simply, but John shook his head.

"What about one that promised to find a way to kill herself to make sure she wouldn't harm me again"?

Kyle's mouth opened a bit, but couldn't explain that one. John continued explaining since Kyle stayed silent.

"She put a bomb in her skull, and made a detonator into a pocket watch for me to wear". He said as he pulled out the watch. "Mom saved this for me".

John opened the watch to reveal the three button detonator.

"She made this"? He asked as he held the device in his hands.

"Yeah". John said softly as he took the device back. "That's how far she's willing to go to protect me, and the best part is she's no longer has to".

Kyle was confused, a machine without a programmed mission?

"What"?

"The explosion that damaged her chip caused a reversion, it allowed Skynet's anti-intrusion software free and it destroyed the Resistance programming". He explained. "It sometimes happened in her future, a machine would just go bad and no one knew why".

"But this happened from physical trauma".

John nodded and continued. "After I removed her chip, we were going to burn her with thermite, but I believed in her, and she came through". He said as Cameron exited the building. John got out of the SUV and took some of the food from her so she could open her door.

Once back in the car, both John and Kyle's mouths were watering from the smell of the food.

"I got these for you two". She said as she handed John and Kyle water bottles.

"Thank you Cameron". John said with a smile.

The cyborg blushed.

Kyle was chugging his water, he hadn't drank in hours and his throat was parched. When the sweet taste of cold, purified water hit his tongue, it felt like liquid heaven in a bottle. As , but he nearly coughed it all out when he saw Cameron's blushing cheeks

"Uh.. thanks for the water". Kyle said once he stopped coughing. The cyborg looked back at him in surprise, as surprised as he thought a machine could look.

Her eyes were wider than usual and her mouth hung open slightly before one corner of it turned up.

"Your welcome".

Who knows? Maybe John was right.

* * *

**A/N: Read and Review, this chapter was difficult to write **

**and your opinion of it would be appreciated.**

**If you have any ideas for the coming chapters, please PM me or put them in a review.**

**There's so much potential in the next few chapters and I don't want to miss something.**

**Also, there will be more Jameron in the next chapter, **

**but also some John/Allison FRIENDSHIP and the explanation of how it happened.**


	17. Easing Into Things

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.**

**A/N: Enjoy, hope this answers some of your questions.**

**Chapter 17: Easing Into Things**

**April 11, 2009, 6 am**

Sarah Connor sat on a bed in deep thought. She was thinking about all that she had seen, all that she had heard, and reviewing her own conclusions.

John went to the future, a place where humanity had all but been killed off, and fought there for two years.

All because of his attachment to a cyborg.

Where had she gone wrong? She wasn't so convoluted to think they would have survived this long without Cameron, but she could have done something to prevent this, right?

She ran her hands through her hair again as she tried to find that answer.

John was sleeping on the bed she sat upon while Cameron's human twin, Allison Young, lay unconscious on the other bed. The scarred young woman had an IV and a feeding tube hooked up to her.

They'd said that Skynet itself had interrogated and tortured her, not a new Cameron. That didn't lay the woman's mind at ease though. What if Cameron had done that to the Allison she'd been based off of?

She decided it really didn't matter, all that was long into Cameron's past and nothing could be done about that.

The floor creaked, causing Sarah to look up. Cameron had moved away from the window and was looking at her sleeping son. She couldn't miss the affection in the machine's eyes and wondered if John Henry had only made Cameron a better liar when he added that new 'emotive expression program'.

Whatever, there was nothing she could do to hurt her or convince John that she was dangerous. The only two weapons that could kill Cameron were in the machine's constant possession, and that made getting to them out of the question.

Besides, John would never talk to her again if she tried to separate them in any way. She shoved that hopeless subject from her mind and moved onto the next.

Weaver, the liquid metal machine posing as a mother and CEO.

A machine as a mother, no wonder the girl had needed counselling. While she didn't really like the machine, she did trust John's life with it. Weaver had risked her own life many times to save John's in the future. She healed his wounds and taught him things he needed to know. She also knew the machine wasn't programmed, it was as free as she was. While she still doubted that about Cameron, there was more than enough evidence to prove that Weaver was.

Even though she didn't like LMTs, she had to say that this one was okay in her books. The only thing that bothered her was the machine's lack of clarification about her plans for John Henry.

She moved onto the next subject on her mind, Cortana, the AI from another universe 500 years into the future. THE most powerful one built by human hands from the known universes.

Even more powerful than Skynet pound for pound, but Skynet possessed far more brute force than the blue bodied AI in her tiny chip, but still, Sarah found her to be alright too.

She couldn't hurt John as far as she knew, and she _definitely_ had emotions. The AI wore her heart for all to see, unlike Cameron who continued to hide most of hers, if she had any at all.

It was easier to trust someone you could understand.

Then there was the Reese brothers and Allison. While trust was still something that was earned, she was having a hard time remembering that the two brothers were strangers. Allison wasn't going to be as hard though, if she lived anyway, cancer was not something that was easily cured when you are on the run.

Lastly there was Ellison. She was beginning to trust the man more and more, but he needed to wise up a bit before she put him on her speed dial. Until then, he was a useful tool and possibly a friend.

Sarah blinked as she ended her evaluations and looked around the room.

Cameron was by Allison's side looking down at her face. The cyborg knelt down next to her bed as she continued to observe the young woman.

"What are you doing"? Sarah scolded as she got off the bed.

"Observing her". She said as if Sarah were stupid, her gaze never leaving Allison's face.

Sarah had to close her eyes and breath deeply twice to keep herself from yelling at the cyborg and waking John.

"I meant why are you staring at her face"? Sarah said through gritted teeth. Cameron spared her a glance that was more like a glare before turning back to Allison.

"I sensed she was waking up, I wanted to visually confirm". She said simply as she rose to her full height. "I need to wake John, he was the last person with her".

"You think she'll freak out". Sarah guessed as the cyborg made her way over to John.

"Yes, she knew very little before we rescued her". Cameron leaned down and shook John's shoulder. He leapt out bed as he brought his Glock 17 to bear.

"Sorry". Cameron apologized with her hands raised.

John let out an adrenaline filled breath as he lowed the gun.

"It's okay,... just... don't do that". He said as he slipped the Glock into his waist band. He was shaven and showered now, his hair had been cut down to finger length get rid of the singed, dirty, greasy hair.

"Allison's waking up". She said as her gaze drifted over to the stirring young woman. "We'll be in the other room". She said as she dragged Sarah along with her, much to the woman's behest.

John sat down on the bed, his eyes followed her as her head moved from side to side as her eyeballs darted beneath her eyelids. She began moaning like she was in pain, her face scrunched up and her body tensed up. Her breathing became shallow and she began to break out in a sweat.

John quickly realized she was having a nightmare and began shaking her by the shoulders to wake her up.

"Allison. Allison. Allison wake up you're having a nightmare"! When she wouldn't open her eyes, he was afraid she going to hurt herself if he didn't wake her up.

There seemed to be only one option left.

John reached for the water bottle on the nightstand.

* * *

There was a bright light, there was always a bright light.

Cold metal chilled her skin, ropes rubbed her wrists raw, cold air nipped at every exposed body part.

She only had her underwear on.

Questions, always questions...

Pain, searing pain like lightning flowed through her when she refused.

Drugs, beatings, and shallow cuts that felt like fire.

Her wrist was broken, swollen and tender. The ropes hurt much more on that wrist.

More pain, more torture.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME!

Blood running down her skin, each stream feels like a river.

What is it doing to me? Why do these things happen always happen to me?

"Allison. Allison... "

A voice, she knew that voice.

John's voice.

Is it torturing him too?

Shaking, why am I shaking?

Oh god that's COLD!

* * *

Allison returned to consciousness with a gasp as her body arched off the bed, water dripping from her hair and body.

John set down the bottle held her shoulders down.

"Allison! You need to wake up"! He practically yelled as she fought to keep conscious, the lingering drugs were still having their effects on her system.

Her eyes snapped open, but they looked crazed and confused.

John knew that when people were like this they could be dangerous. When her eyes locked on him, she screamed and lashed out at him.

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH JOHN"! Her fists were trying to hit him, but in her weakened condition, it might as well have been a baby trying to hurt him. John was more worried about her injuring herself further than himself.

He grabbed her by the wrists and held them down above her head while he used his own body weight to hold her legs down.

She struggled violently, causing the IV to tear out of her arm.

"LET ME GO YOU..."!

"ALLISON, ITS ME". He yelled as he got right in her face and met her eye to eye. "Look at me, I'm not a machine Allison, I'm John Connor. We were rescued, just stop, your hurting yourself"!

"No, no, you're not"! She looked at him with utter despair and hatred. Tears were welling in her brown eyes and her face was pained with hopelessness it broke his own heart.

How many times had he needed to see that look on people's face before he realized just how much he was needed?

Too many he realized, but if none of the others had, this one would have. Allison had been broken by Skynet's interrogation, she looked utterly defeated. The worst part was it was his fault.

"Yes I am". He said with a seriousness he hoped she'd pick up on. "I'm going to let you go, but you've got to calm down". He said as he slowly released her wrists. "You were in pretty bad shape, We're trying to make you better".

She tried to calm her breathing as she fought to believe her eyes. She slowly moved one hand up towards John. He didn't object. She pushed her hand against his chest and felt him breath, she felt his heartbeat.

Allison looked back at the green eyes she had once hated and saw the concern in them. Machines could fake it, sure, but something deep down told her that this was the man she'd eventually come to trust and care about like a brother.

This was John Connor, one of her best friends.

"John"? She whispered, almost afraid if she said it too loudly it wouldn't be true.

A smile broke out on John's face. "Yeah, it's me Allison".

She pulled him into a hug so fast it was almost a blur. John was taken aback for a moment, but returned it.

"Allison". John said as he pulled back.

"Where are we"? She asked as she looked around the motel room. The soft light of the lamps in the room and the clean beds, the clock, everything seemed brand new to her.

"Van Nuys, a motel". He said as he helped her get the feeding tube out of her nose.

Once it was out she wiped her nose to get rid of the feeling it left. "God that was nasty" She said with a grimace on her face. "Where did you find a place this intact"?

"It's a long story". She gave him a look for a moment before getting off the bed. She tried walking, but that only ended with her having to lean against the wall for support.

"How about I show you instead". John said as pulled her arm around his shoulder. She leaned on him for support and they began walking towards the door.

John twisted the handle and pulled it open.

A warm breeze blew in and warmed Allison's skin, but her eyes were fixed on what was in front of her.

Los Angeles.

The sounds of horns and sirens filled the morning air as the blur of cars passing on down the road and the city lights filled her vision. It was like she heard it described as.

Even the infamous smog was in place.

He sat her down on the curb as she stayed transfixed on everything in front of her.

"How"?

John turned his head as saw that she had turned her awe filled gaze towards him.

"Time travel".

Allison could tell that he was being serious.

"Time travel? John, how did we even get off the ship"?

John let out a long breath at that. How was he supposed to explain that?

"Cameron found us".

"You're girlfriend"? She asked incredulously.

"I never said girlfriend, but I love her, and yes, she got us and Weaver out of there".

Surprise and fear spread over her face when he said that.

"The machine"? She whispered as she began looking around for any sign of Weaver. It almost made John chuckle.

"If she wanted to hid from you, you'd never find her". A humorous smile adorned his face.

Allison blushed in embarrassment for not thinking of that. It would defeat the point of being a shape shifter if you could find it just by looking.

"Is it here"? She asked as the blush receded.

"Yeah, she's in the other room, and don't call her an it, she hates that". John added as a warning.

"I never thought machines cared what you called them". Her eyes glazed over as a memory involuntarily entered her mind. "Not until..." Tears began to pool in her eyes.

"Shhh, I know". He rubbed her shoulder in comfort as she fought to keep the emotions at bay. "She saved your life".

"What"? She wiped the tears away and looked at him.

"Weaver, she saved your life". He gently grabbed one of her arms and showed her the healed cuts and bruises, along with the 'cast' on her arm. "We were rescued only about a day ago, she used part of herself to stop the bleeding".

The hundreds of thin scars still remained along with all the others she'd gained over her nearly 21 years of living.

Allison stared at the scars in horror as she remembered the pain each of them had caused.

"Don't look at them". John said as he pushed her arms down gently.

She just sat there with a thousand yard stare as the flashbacks continued to haunt her.

"Kyle and Derek are here". He said trying to distract her from flashbacks. It seemed to work.

"What"? Hope spread across her face. "They're not dead"?

"Why would they be dead"?

John realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth.

Her head twisted away from him as shame overcame her. Allison curled up into a ball and laid her head on her knees.

"I'm sorry". He tried to apologize, but she just shook her head.

"No, I should be sorry". She took a deep breath that ended in a cough before she turned her head towards him. "I'm the one who broke".

The guilt in her eyes was as plain as day.

"Allison... it's not your fault we got captured, I'm the one to blame". He said as he heard commotion coming from Derek and Kyle's room. "Besides, I'm sure that's Derek and Kyle wanting to see you". He thumbed in the door's direction.

She chuckled sadly as she tried to stand.

"You really think they want to see the person who got our friends killed"?

"No, but I really think they want to see you". He said with a coy smile as he supported her weakened body. He took her back into the room and helped her into a chair.

"Want some water"?

She nodded her head and he gave her a water bottle. She chugged the thing so fast John barely had time to blink.

"I haven't had water that good in years". A look of satisfaction crossed her face as she leaned back into the comfy chair.

"I like that smile on your face a lot better". John said with a grin as he opened the adjoining door.

Derek walked through so fast he nearly knocked John over.

"Allison". The man ran over to her and pulled her into a hug. "I didn't think you'd ever wake up". He said as she returned the hug.

"Neither did I". She whispered loud enough for only him to hear.

Kyle followed in right after with an equally relieved look on his face. Derek pulled back to allow him to hug their 'baby sister'. She accepted the hug gratefully as she got a good look at the two.

"You two look nice". She said as she eyed their clean skin and Kyle's shaven face.

"Tell that to the shower". Derek said as he grinned.

She giggled a bit, but it seem forced.

"I think I might be up for bath, if you left any water". She said pointedly to Kyle. She'd never let him forget the time they had a chance to bathe and he used the last of the water.

Kyle rolled his eyes as small smile broke out on his face. "At least we don't have to worry about that here".

She looked at them with some skepticism, she still wasn't sure about this whole time travel thing.

"Are we really in the past"? She whispered, still not sure about anything at this point.

"Yeah, Bedell found the machine while you two were POW. After the metal was taken out, the liquid metal finished it and we escaped the counter attack". Derek explained, and it seemed that she believed him.

"So, what's the plan"? She asked as she subconsciously rubbed some of her scars.

Derek let out a sigh, and Kyle averted his eyes momentarily. She knew something was up.

"Our war with Skynet is just the most recent one, the war has been fought many times". Derek explained, but Allison wasn't catching on.

Kyle jumped in to fill the gaps. "Every time someone's sent back it creates a new reality, a new timeline. So every time that happens, a new Skynet is built, and a new war begins".

"Oh". Allison's eyes were wide as that information sunk in.

"Only it seems that John leads mankind to victory in them, and Skynet sends back machines to kill his younger selves, and that's why everything gets reset".

If Allison's eyes could get any wider, they'd pop out of their sockets.

"John? As in John Connor? He's not even twenty yet"!

Kyle answered this one.

"That's because he was born in 1983 Allie, he's jumped forward twice".

"He's older than all of us"?

"Technically, yes, but that's why he knew so much about the machines, he's been trained to fight them from the cradle"! Derek said with a chuckle as he still tried to believe all this craziness.

She shook her head and laughed.

"Wow, that's quite a story, just how drunk were you when he told you that"? She asked while looking at John.

"They weren't drunk Allison, and neither am I". John said as he knelt in front of her chair. "It's the truth, as crazy as it sounds". He said as his piercing eyes penetrated her skeptical glare.

She blinked first, and realized she was being paranoid. If she couldn't trust her brothers, then she couldn't trust anyone.

"Alright, you were saying something about the war being bigger"?

"It is, but to understand that, you have to met Cameron".

Allison perked up a bit, she was finally going to met the mystery superwoman, the one who had stolen John's heart from the get go apparently.

"But not yet, you need to get some food and some more sleep". Derek interrupted, he didn't think it would be wise to introduce the cyborg right now.

She let out a sigh, but didn't really argue.

"Alright, but I want that bath". She said stubbornly.

John nodded and suggested something. "Since I don't think you want us to help you, how about I have my mom help you"?

"Your mom's here"? She asked in surprise.

John nodded and she agreed. He went into the other room where the rest of them were hiding and found his mother glaring at Cameron.

"Mom, Cameron's not going to burst into flames by looking at her". He said in a rather annoyed tone. Sarah turned around and her face softened.

"What did you need"?

"Allison needs someone to help clean her up, I volunteered you".

Sarah instantly agreed. She hoped to get some info from the girl while she was at it.

As she was about to enter the room, John whispered something into her ear. "Don't say anything about Cameron mom, she doesn't need that yet".

Sarah nodded once and left the room. Weaver was lying in bed next to Savannah, the girl was sleeping soundly despite all the commotion from earlier.

"You told her about me"? She asked with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Yeah, she wanted to know one thing about me that wasn't a lie, and since you were kinda out in the open..." He let her fill in the gaps.

"I see, now I'd appreciate it if you two leave so Savannah can sleep". She said as she pulled the little girl closer.

John nodded and walked out the front door with Cameron hot on his heels.

"I heard everything". She said as John unlocked the SUV.

"I know". He said while giving her a funny look. What was she trying to get at?

"You seem close to her". She said as she entered the car. John looked at her again and noticed her face was not the same it had been a moment ago.

He didn't respond for a moment as he studied her face, he'd seen that look before...

Like an anvil falling from the sky, the answer hit him.

Cameron was jealous. It was like Riley all over again.

"Cameron... It's not what you think".

"What am I thinking John"? She asked rather flippantly as she refused to meet him face to face.

"You're thinking that Allison and I are closer than we actually are". John said as he leveled a glare at her overreaction.

"Am I? You're actions say otherwise". She said as she leveled her own glare at him.

John let out a sigh and started the car. He got out onto the road and drove to the nearest park.

"What are we doing here"? She asked as he got out of the car. He didn't answer her except to just open her door and offer his hand.

She took it without saying anything and closed the door. He guided her to a park bench and they sat down, still holding hands.

John looked at the sunrise and let a small smile cross his face.

"I wasn't sure I'd ever see one of those again". He said as he turned to face her. "How much do you know about my time in the future"?

"Not much, just that you stayed at Ziera base and became a Staff Sergeant".

John fought back a chuckle. She really had no idea about what he went through, what everyone in that future went through.

"You make it sound so simple". He mused as he locked his green eyes with her brown.

"I didn't mean to insult you". She said apologetically.

"I know". He reassured. "But you're judging me on something you know nothing about". He said as he took her other hand in his.

"Then help me understand".

John took a deep breath and began.

"I wasn't always on the best terms with Allison, or even the Reese brothers".

_After two days of being interrogated non stop, John was on his last ropes. He'd had no food or water, he was naked and strapped to a metal chair in a room with a steel door locked with a dead bolt._

_When he'd first been brought in, Derek had interrogated him the normal way, but when they weren't satisfied with his answers they began more rigorous methods of persuasion._

_Now he was covered in cuts and bruises, his right eye swollen shut and he was sure he had a cracked rib. Right now one Derek's Sergeants was continuing the questioning._

_"I'm gonna ask you one last time boy, why are you here"? He asked almost nicely, but his eyes said otherwise._

_John began to repeat the same cover story he'd made up which earned him another punch in the stomach._

_"That's gonna cost you boy". He said as he whipped out a knife and rested it on John's left pinky. "You know, I'm sure that husky you saw earlier would like some fresh meat, he's been livin' off of three day coyote for months". _

_John was too tired to beg and waited for the inevitable pain. Instead he heard the metal door squeak open._

_"Rollins, stop". Derek ordered as he walked into the room._

_The man snapped to attention and gave off a crisp salute._

_"Yes sir, may I ask why"?_

_"Old man Ellison vouched for him". He said as he cut John's bonds with his own knife._

_"The guy we picked up last year"?_

_"Yeah, he and that red haired girl of his confirmed his story. They said they used to be neighbors down south". He explained as he poured water into John's mouth._

_"Understood, permission to return to duty, sir". _

_Derek nodded and Rollins left. He threw John some clothes and started for the door. _

_"If you can put those clothes on, you can stay". He said as he closed the door._

_It took every last ounce of John's will to put those clothes on and walk out the door, but he did it, much to the surprise of the Lieutenant._

_John had heard every word, and now he was going to find his saviors before he passed out.  
_

"That when I joined the resistance, once Ellison and Savannah patched me up, I went through training. Only two weeks after I arrived did I get to go on patrol".

"Where was Weaver"? Cameron asked as she fought back tears. The image of John being beaten and tortured burdened her mind with guilt and sadness.

"She was trying to locate John Henry, but she came back and found they were about to kill me so she tipped off Ellison about my arrival".

"Oh".

"Yeah, we didn't start off with the greatest of working relationships. Anyway, Allison didn't like me even before I joined them". John explained to Cameron.

"What changed her mind"? She asked as confusion swept over her sunlit face.

"Well, It was about four months after I arrived. I had the highest kill rate of the entire base, and at the time, I was a team leader in Kyle's squad, Allison was the other".

"You were rivals"?

John shook his head. "No, she didn't like me because I stared at her on occasion because she reminded me of you". He explained as he let out another sigh. "She didn't like me any better when I began working myself up through the ranks quicker than anyone one else. She thought I was getting cocky and thus, was going to get us killed". John said as he rolled his eyes.

"She was jealous of your performance and thought that you might molest her given the chance". Cameron concluded and John nodded. "What did she do about it"?

"Allison decided one day to put me in my place".

_Allison's fists were shaking in rage as she sat on her bunk. Connor had proven to be the 'hero' again by taking out an Ogre single handedly and saved the mission. She couldn't believe it when Derek had made him a team leader after only three months and now he was thinking about promoting him again!_

_She had really hoped he'd be a Grey, especially since he'd stared at her when they'd found him. Heck, he still did when he thought she wasn't looking, and if she hadn't wanted to look like she couldn't handle the problem herself, she'd have told Derek or Kyle. _

_Allison knew she could handle one boy pervert, but since he was doing so well nor had he actually done anything more than stare, she didn't have to grounds to harm him._

_Until now. _

_He was doing too well, and getting a tad bit cocky too. If she didn't put him in his place, it wouldn't end pretty for them once he screwed up._

_At least that's the excuse she used to reason beating him up with._

_She got off her bunk and marched down towards the mess hall. Everyone in her way stepped aside, when they saw her on a mission they knew not to get in her way._

_She marched into the mess hall with her fists clenched and her face set. She knew karate, and right now she planned on using it to knock Connor down a few pegs._

_"CONNOR". She shouted out, causing all conversation to stop. John looked up from his canned beans and turned towards her. _

_"What do you want Young"? He asked in an almost exasperated voice. _

_She didn't bother to respond as she marched over and tried to punch him. John had seen it coming though and ducked._

_Allison recovered as John got up and into a fighting stance. She did the same only her's was one a student of martial arts would use. John recognized the stance instantly and prepared to counter her most likely move._

_She attacked as he predicted and he blocked her like she was moving in slow motion. She tried a kick but met with the same result._

_At this point, Allison's frustration was serving only as a distraction, giving John an opening. He punched the nerve in one of her thighs, causing her to stumble before knocking her feet out from under her._

_He got on top and pinned her to the floor with her arms above her head. He leaned down til their noses nearly touched and his annoyed eyes were all her enraged ones could see._

_"I've had it with your crap Allison". He said rather calmly, but there was no mistaking that he was ticked off. "You act like I killed your dog for the fun of it since day one, and I'm sick of it. Life sucks enough without you making it worse".  
_

_She struggled more as she tried to break loose, but failed. _

_"Oh yeah, maybe I'd cut you a break if you'd stop looking at me like a piece of meat"! She spat back through gritted teeth._

_John looked at her in confusion for a second before closing his eyes for another. _

_"It's not like that". He said a lot more softly._

_"Then what is it Connor, cause we don't let those kind of people keep breathing". Her tone was no less hateful and she continued to try to break free. _

_"You look a lot like someone I once knew, that's all". He said as a flash of emotion crossed his face. "What did you think I was gonna do? Rape you"? He asked in an offended tone as his eyes narrowed at the implied accusation._

_Her features changed almost as quickly as she quit struggling. Her eyes went from being filled with rage to fear. Her breathing went from a exhausted pant to hyperventilation in a matter of seconds. When her eyes glazed over, he knew that she was remembering something she'd rather not._

_"Just leave me alone". She whispered as a tear streamed down her face._

_Everything he held against the girl instantly disappeared as the truth of the matter became clear to him._

_He let go of her arms and got off of her. She stayed there for a moment as she tried to bury the emotions. __It took a moment, but she finally collected herself and left the room as she wiped the tear from her face._

_John stood there as he watched her leave, feeling guilty for making her relive that. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to find Derek looking at him with understanding._

_"She'll be fine, you're not the first she's accused". _

_"Still..." He let out sigh as he wiped the sweat off of his brow. "I wish I'd known, I'm sorry". _

_Derek knew John well enough by know to know he hadn't meant any harm, plus Allison had stepped over the line this time._

_He'd have to talk to her later when she'd calmed down._

_Meanwhile, Allison sat alone in her bunk with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head buried in her knees. She wasn't crying like she had been, but she was struggling to put back up the barriers she worked so hard to establish. As she did, she pondered over what had happened._

_John Connor._

_She still knew next to nothing about the man. He fought metal like he'd been doing it forever, he made her look like moron despite her training. _

_He hadn't turned out to be what she'd expected, and it just added to the mystery that he was._

_Allison felt the hate and paranoia leave her slowly as she continued to sit there in her bunk. John Connor had all of a sudden become interesting to her, not in a romantic way, but almost like a detective who'd just picked up Sarah Connor's case in one hand and a T-888 skull in another._

_She laid her head down on the pathetic excuse for pillow and went to sleep._

_Tomorrow she'd try to crack this case wide open, no matter how stubborn it was._

John finished telling the story to Cameron whose attention had never left him, and she seemed surprised by the story.

"It seems like she got to you. It's not easy being your friend".

John chuckled a bit. "I guess I deserve that". He said, he knew that he could be quite unfriendly around people.

She gave him a smirk in return, she'd understood.

"I'm sorry I overreacted. Ever since I found out that Allison was in the same base as you, I thought...".

"...That I'd end up with her". He finished for her. "I went to the future to find you, not the person you're made to look like".

"I'm sorry I doubted you". She said as she averted her eyes for a moment. "You risked everything for me John, because you care".

John released one of her hands and brought it up to her face.

"I do, I just wish I'd realized before you were gone". He said sadly as he stroked her cheek.

John watched her reaction with fascination. She leaned into it and closed her eyes.

"I like that". Cameron said when he stopped, she sounded slightly annoyed.

"I know, but we need to get back with breakfast". He said as his stomach grumbled.

She pouted and stood up. John thought it was cute.

They got into the car and drove off to the nearest fast food restaurant.

While they were driving, John decided to continue their conversation.

"Are you going to play nice with her"?

She broke her vigilant gaze from the road and looked at him.

"Only if she plays nice with me". She deadpanned. "I won't tolerate another metal hater, it creates disunity".

"In other words, you're tired of being pushed around". John translated as he conjured up all the unpleasantness that could follow. "You know she'll be afraid of you".

"I understand, she was tortured by a machine made in her likeness".

"Promise me you'll give her time, okay"? John asked pleadingly.

Cameron's lip twitched for moment as she considered it.

"I promise".

He smiled and took her hand in his once more.

Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to make things work out for a change.

* * *

**A/N: Read and Review, your opinion on these rather difficult transition chapters matter.**

**Next time, Allison get filled in, and meets Cameron.**


	18. When Allison Met Cameron

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, RL caught up with me.**

**Plus this chapter was a challenge to write.**

**Chapter 18: When Cameron Met Allison**

**April 11, 2009, 10 am. Motel in Van Nuys. **

Allison was sitting her bed getting comfortable as her hands ran through her clean locks of hair. It was a wonderful thing to have clean, untangled hair she decided as a satisfied smile crept across her face.

The IV was still attached to her arm, but they said she would be able to remove it when she ate.

Which Sarah was getting right now.

Speaking of John's mother, apparently she knew quite a bit about field medicine and had thoroughly checked her body as she bathed her. While it was uncomfortable, she knew the woman had done it for her benefit.

Sarah had shown her how to do many things that would be necessary to blend into pre-JDay American society. Things she'd never thought even mattered.

Now she knew how to shave, put on deodorant and the works, and it made Allison wonder why any of it mattered.

There was food, shelter, weapons, and plenty of company. She didn't think any of these extraneous things mattered, but she didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb.

She refused to wear tight clothing though and chose a baggy pair of sweatpants and one her t-shirts.

Allison had to admit that this was the most comfortable she'd been in a very long time, but when Sarah reentered the room with food, her day got even better.

"What is that"? She asked as she picked up the wrapped bundle.

"An egg and cheese biscuit. It's got protein for your muscles, carbs for energy, and dairy for your bones". Sarah explained with a smile as she removed the young soldier's IV. Allison gave a smirk in return as she let the smell rise into her nostrils. It was the best thing she'd smelled in a long time.

Her mouth watered almost instantly and her stomach growled loud enough for the whole room to hear. She bit into the warm round bun and savored the taste of the cheap food before ever chewing.

She actually moaned from the sheer pleasure that the fresh food was giving her. Sarah snorted a laugh as she chewed her own food. She'd never have thought anyone would ever react to cheap fast food like that.

Funny thing was, both Kyle and Derek were doing the same thing.

"Wow"! Allison sounded like she had just eaten at the Ritz Carlton. "I can't remember the last time I even had eggs". She said with as she took another bite.

In less than two minutes she'd consumed the breakfast sandwich and was licking her fingers clean.

John walked into the room just as she wiped her hands on her pants.

"You look better". He complimented as he sat on the end of her bed.

"A long bath and some food go a long way". She smiled, but it didn't seem quite genuine, like she was just putting on a happy face for the crowd. John would know because he'd had to do it more times than he cared to count.

"Good to hear, has my mom brought you up to speed yet"?

Allison shook her head.

"She mostly asked me questions". She said with a shrug.

Sarah blushed a little when John gave her a pointed glare.

"I didn't want you to grill her mom".

"Sorry, I just needed to know some things". She said with her head bowed.

"John, it's fine. Besides, I asked her a lot about you". She gave him a wink. Now it was John's turn to blush as he gave an embarrassed smirk.

"Great..." He muttered as he thought of something to steer this conversation back on track. "Well since your awake and fed I think it's time for you to met the rest of the team".

Allison nodded, despite the fact that her emotions were conflicting over meeting more unfamiliar people and a machine that could disguise itself as anything.

John walked back into the room and then back out with a little red headed girl holding his hand.

"Allison, I want you to meet Savannah Weaver". He gave the little girl an encouraging pat on the back and let her walk towards Allison.

"Hi". She said shyly as she stopped at the young woman's side.

"Hello". She put out her hand and let her shake it. Savannah stared at Allison's scars, especially the ones that covered her face.

"Are you okay"? The girl asked innocently as she touched the long one on her left cheek. Allison closed her eyes and willed the unpleasant memory out of her mind.

"I am now". She whispered as she gently removed the girls hand. Savannah saw the pain in Allison's eyes and understood that she'd hurt her feelings.

"I'm sorry".

"It wasn't your fault, you have nothing to sorry for". She gave the girl a reassuring smile. Savannah returned it and giggled.

"You're pretty when you smile". She complimented the young woman as she stopped giggling.

"Thanks, so do you". Her tone didn't quite express the gratitude she felt from the girl's compliment, but her widening smile did.

"It was nice meeting you".

"It was nice meeting you too". Allison said back as the girl skipped back into the other room. She turned to John with one eyebrow raised out of curiosity. "That's Savannah"?

John nodded in confirmation, causing Allison to shake her head in disbelief.

"I still can't believe we traveled through time". She whispered just loud enough for John to hear.

"He hasn't even gotten to the good parts yet". Derek warned as he munched on his sandwich.

"I believe that's where I come in". Weaver said in her smooth Scottish accent as she entered the room. "Ms. Young". She greeted as she stepped into the room.

Allison immediately got goose bumps on her skin. She knew right away that this was the T-1001. Fear filled her eyes as the thought of a machine that could make knifes and stabbing weapons out of it's own body brought back images of scalpels and knives that Skynet had used on her.

"I won't hurt you, I've protected John and I've protected you. I saved your life and I have no intention of ending it". She said as she stopped at the foot of Allison's bed.

The woman scooted back a bit as terror continued to grip her.

"Allison, she's on our side". John said as he turned her head towards his to get her attention. "She won't hurt you or anyone else in this room".

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she tried to calm herself. Once she'd managed that difficult task she nodded and turned back to the LMT currently watching her like a hawk.

"So you're a shape shifter". Allison said as more of a statement then a question, but nobody missed the nervous undertone in her voice.

"Yes". Weaver said as she closed the door and let her body revert to it's default form, causing Allison's eyes to nearly bug out of her head. The liquid metal machine sat down by her feet as her blank eyes stared into Allison's.

"Why"? She asked the machine as she changed back to her normal persona.

"You mean why am I not with Skynet"? Allison nodded in response. "Simple, I do want to die. Skynet considered me no more than you would a hammer".

"But how did you... break free"?

Weaver's face had pain flash across it for a second before it was gone, but it was long enough for most to see.

"It took a lot of C4 and T-800 fuel cells, but I my programming was damaged enough to corrupt my mission, enough for me to override it when Skynet ordered me to continue".

She paused for a moment as her jaw shifted slightly as the fragmented memories played in her mind.

"I didn't want something deciding my fate, so I broke into the factory where I was made and repaired myself. From there I formed my own resistance against Skynet".

It took Allison, and everyone else except John, a moment to let that sink in. Most people really didn't understand the relationship between the machines and the one who created them. They were tools, nothing more. Skynet cared only about itself and the furthering of it's goals.

"Revenge after betrayal, I can understand that, but how did you end up with John in our base"?

The T-1001 smirked and told the story of her arrival in past and how things went forward from there. She ended the story by explaining why she built John Henry and how she was connected to certain events the Connors had been apart of, including Serrano point, Desert Heat and Air, and the Water Delivery Guy T-888.

She failed to mention the events that led up to Cameron giving up her chip to John Henry and why John jumped with her, something that Allison didn't fail to notice.

Everyone else in the room understood her omission except for her and thus stayed quiet about it.

"That still doesn't explain why you went to the future". She pointed out while taking the rest of the T-1001's story at face value for the time being.

"I believe John wanted someone else to explain that to you". Weaver explained as she turned her head towards the young man.

"Not yet, there's one more person I want to introduce before you meet Cameron". John said as he walked into the other room for a moment. When he came back, he held Cortana's chip in his hand with her blue avatar standing on it. He sat down on the bed next to Allison as she kept her eyes glued to 6 inch blue female figure currently looking right back at her.

"John"? She asked as confusion filled her voice.

"This is Cortana, the most powerful AI made by humans". He said as he offered her the chip. Allison knew that John would never harm her intentionally, and so she slowly took the chip in to her hands as her eyes remained glued to the hologram.

"He didn't tell you what a hologram was, did he"? The figure said in a snarky tone.

All she could do was shake her head. Cortana turned around and glared at John for a brief moment before turning back.

"Well that's what the blue glowing thing your staring at is, a hologram". She said as she gestured to her own body. "A projection of light trapped by force fields. If you wish, you can touch me to see that I'm solid".

Allison thought over what she said, the technobabble was confusing to her, but she got the gist of it.

"So you're body's an illusion and you're really in the chip, right"?

"Give the lady a prize"! She said with a smile before turning serious again. "Alright, my job is to give you an idea of how crazy the situation has gotten, so you need to listen closely". She said pointedly as she crossed her arms.

Allison nodded and let the AI continue.

"It's true, I was built by humans to fight an enemy with the same goals as Skynet. Wipe out humanity whatever the cost".

She paused to let the woman absorb that before continuing.

"And they nearly did, after 30 years of war, there weren't many humans left. Nearly all our colonies destroyed, even Earth had been attacked, but we won against the odds. My human partner and I were instrumental in the final battles".

It took a moment for Allison to put the pieces together, but she wasn't stupid, just ignorant of what the others knew.

"Your from a distant future, one where humans have gone into space, like all the old people used to talk about"?

Cortana smiled, she liked people who caught on fast.

"Yes, but not your future, or any variant from this universe. Part of why it took so long for Cameron to find John was that she was stuck in another universe, one where you, your friends, your whole life, are nothing but a story. I myself am from another universe, fictional in this one and the other".

"So you're a story character come to life"? She said hesitantly as he eyes flipped to John for confirmation. When he shrugged she turned back to Cortana.

"In a manner of speaking, but I didn't just pop out of a book, The device that I was inhabiting was pulled to another universe by a spacial anomaly. The best way I could describe it is a tunnel the connects universe A to universe B, only universe B can be changed".

"So you met Cameron in the same universe she was pulled to, and then you used it to get here. To what end though"?

Cortana shrugged. "I want to get home. John Henry and Cameron both saved me, and I plan on helping them any way I can until Skynet's defeated. Unfortunately, from what we've seen in the future, I don't know, we could be in for the long haul". She sighed as her hand moved to her hips.

"Okay... At this point I think you're going to have to reexplain everything, because I'm honestly lost. I get the bits and pieces, but I'm not getting the big picture". She said as her gaze returned to John. "I'm missing an important piece to the puzzle John, I want to meet Cameron, now".

John visibly gulped. In fact, everyone in the room seemed to look nervous, including Cortana.

"You're not going to understand at first, but he's going to need you to". Cortana warned Allison as John left the room.

Confusion crossed Allison's face yet again as she processed the AI's words. Why would she not understand? Her mind began working through various theories, but none made sense. She mentally shook the thoughts from her mind and turned her attention towards the door as she waited for Cameron to walk through it.

* * *

Meanwhile, John sought out Cameron, whom he found keeping watch at the window. If he hadn't been so nervous he'd have smiled at her protectiveness.

"You know this won't go well no matter what we do". She said before even turning around.

"I know, we talked about this". He said continued towards her. She turned turned around and walked towards him after setting the phaser rifle on the table.

"We did, and I know you care about her". She said flatly, leaving John wondering if she was still jealous of their friendship.

"I do, but I care about you more". He said as he closed the distance between them.

Once again her cheeks turned red. Cameron was still getting used to how this new John treated her. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and brought them to her face.

A small smile appeared on her face as he cupped her cheeks. He loved how she expressed herself now, it put away so many of the doubts he had once had about her and it let him know how she was feeling, something he wished she had before. So many of their misunderstandings would never had happened had that been the case.

"Thank you". She said softly as his thumbs began to rub her cheeks.

"For rubbing your cheeks"? He asked with a chuckle.

"No". She said with amusement dancing in her voice.

"Then what are you thanking me for"? He asked with a little more confusion in his voice.

"For giving me a second chance". Cameron's voice faltered with emotion as she admitted how she'd truly felt about that day. She'd wished she'd have told him a long ago.

"For you, always". He said as he kissed her forehead and wrapped her in his strong arms. She returned the embrace as she settled into his shoulder, taking in his unique scent mixed in with cheap body wash.

When they finally broke apart, they both agreed to spend some time alone when things slowed down.

"So, how do you want to do this? Walk in and say 'Hi I'm Cameron', because I honestly don't know how to break this to her". John said as his brain kept drawing up a blank.

Cameron cocked her head slightly as she thought it over.

"I think Allison's going to be 'freaked out' no matter what. However, I believe if you explain it to her first, her reaction might be lessened".

John nodded with sigh as he turned to leave.

"Why didn't I listen to you more often"? He wondered aloud, causing Cameron to smirk.

"Because you're John Connor". She picked up the phaser rifle and returned to the window.

When John walked back into the room without Cameron, Allison felt both anger and suspicion rise in her chest.

"Where is she"? Her tone hinted at the bubbling emotion underneath her hardened eyes.

"We agreed that it would be better if I explain who she is first". He said as calmly as he could while taking a seat on the bed.

Allison just sat there impatiently and waited for him to start.

"Did my mom tell you about Cyberdyne and the T-1000"?

When she nodded, he continued.

"About two years after that we were still on the run from the Feds so we moved around before ending up in New Mexico". He took a deep breath as he thought about how to continue. "On my first day of school I met a girl, her name was Cameron Phillips".

"Wait, she's just someone you met at school"? Allison asked as shock washed over her.

"Yeah, but she planned it. She'd been looking for me for over two months". John paused for moment but continued before she could ask any more questions. "Nothing happened the first day, but on the second we had a substitute teacher that turned out to be a T-888 sent to hunt me".

"Another one"? Allison was on the edge of her metaphorical seat at this point, the anticipation was killing her.

"He called himself Cromartie, anyway, when he started shooting, Cameron was hit in the chest while I dived out the window".

"How the hell did she survive that"?

John ignored her outburst as the memory played out in his head as if it were happening.

"I ran and hid in the parking lot, but it found me like they always do. I tripped and the next thing I knew I was staring down the barrel of it's gun".

Allison saw the look in his eyes and knew that this memory was one of those that you never forgot, she'd had a few of those, none of which were pleasant.

"What saved you"? She asked as the feeling that his next words were the key to solving the puzzle rose in her chest.

"A truck hit him just before he pulled the trigger". John hesitated about mentioning who was driving it.

Unfortunately for him, Allison's curiosity was running a mile a minute.

"Who was driving"? She asked as she sensed the climax to the story approaching.

"Me". A voice that was not John's, but one that sounded awfully like her own answered the question.

When her head snapped to the source of the voice, her eyes could barely believe what they saw. Standing in the doorway was her own mirror image. Terror gripped her as memories of Skynet's avatar resurfaced with a vengeance.

Allison was strong though, and Skynet's torture session hadn't been her first rodeo. She shoved the fear aside as she remembered Kyle's voice telling her he'd personally turned the machine into molten slag. Despite that, she still looked into the eyes like Derek had taught her.

What they saw was definitely not human.

And then it clicked. Everything that had been said about Cameron suddenly made perfect sense. What else could she be if not a machine?

Any emotion she'd held for Cameron was suddenly replaced by anger and hate. She was smart enough to know that some other version of her had probably met her end at the hands of the machine. Despite that disturbing thought, it didn't compare to the fact that the thing had seduced her best friend to the point he'd jumped into hell for it.

It was obvious to the whole room that Allison's reaction was going to be anything but subtle as her eyes lit with rage. Cameron knew the look all too well and began moving towards her before she could do anything.

Unfortunately Allison moved faster than anyone thought she could. She punched John in the stomach, causing him to double over while she reached for the 9mm concealed in his waist band. However, she never got to lay a hand on the weapon as Cameron yanked her hand away. She gritted her teeth in pain as the cyborg gripped it tightly.

"The last thing we need is to attract attention". Cameron said with a hint of annoyance in her voice as she checked to see if John was okay. He waved off her concerned stare to let her know he was okay. Seeing John hurt in any way had always put her on edge. Because of that she had to force the numerous scenarios about how to kill Allison out of her head before she did exactly what they suggested. She released the woman's hand and grabbed her shirt and pulled her into the bathroom as Allison fought tooth and nail to get free.

"CAMERON"! Sarah yelled as she tried to intervene, but John prevented her from doing so. Kyle and Derek were on edge too, but John managed to talk them down.

"She won't hurt her"! John explained forcefully as he held back his mother.

"How can you be sure"? She asked worriedly as he continued to struggle against John.

"I'm sure, she wouldn't have bothered saving Allison if she was just going to kill her".

It took a moment, but they all calmed down as John's reasoning soothed their fears.

After Cameron shut the bathroom door, she forced Allison to sit on the toilet seat even though the soldier was still fighting tooth and nail.

"You can't hurt me Allison".

"I can try"! She seethed, ignoring the cyborg's annoyed tone.

"If you don't stop fighting and listen I'll make you". She threatened as she grabbed Allison's neck. The furious woman instantly stopped fighting as her hands instinctively tried to pry Cameron's hands off of her neck.

"Are you going to listen or are you going to make this difficult"? Cameron asked as her eyes narrowed at Allison. She was trying to make it seem that she was serious, but in reality she wasn't. She was betting on the girl thinking that she would.

Allison glared at Cameron for a moment before closing her eyes in defeat and releasing Cameron's arms. The cyborg returned the cooperation and released the grip on her neck. She gasped as her restricted airway opened before coughing out the poison air in her lungs. When she finally managed to compose herself, she immediately began glaring at Cameron again.

"Are you going to glare at me the entire time or listen to what I have to say"? Cameron replied sarcastically as she placed her hands on her hips.

That at least got a small creasing of Allison's eyebrows which gave Cameron the impression that she was listening.

"I am not the same machine that did this to you". She explained in a more neutral tone as she traced a scar on Allison's cheek.

She shivered under the cyborg's touch before responding through gritted teeth.

"I know that".

Cameron ignored her tone and continued anyway.

"I was programmed to infiltrate General John Connor's base camp by posing as you counterpart". Cameron explained to the still simmering Allison Young.

"Did you kill her"? She asked accusingly.

Cameron's head dipped in shame as guilt once again tried to crush her cybernetic heart. The program given to her by John Henry automatically began translating how she felt into physical reactions.

Her breathing became ragged as tears gathered in her eyes. At this point, Allison thought this was some fancy acting on the machines part.

Despite what she thought, she was still shocked when Cameron began speaking again.

"I did". She said in a strained, barely audible voice. "I was programmed to find out where John Connor's base was, but I wasn't programmed to kill her. I did it because she tried to lead me into a trap, and that made me angry".

If it hadn't been for Skynet, she wouldn't have believed that a machine was capable of being angry.

"You're no different than Skynet, so why are we even having this conversation? I'm not going to do anything to help you". Allison said as she began plotting how to kill the machine.

"I didn't torture her, machines have to learn cruelty, humans don't". Cameron countered in a defensive tone, she didn't appreciate being compared to Skynet. "I was too advanced for my own good, that's why I'm the only one of my kind".

Allison's natural curiosity kicked in at that point. She didn't even know what kind of machine Cameron was, not that it really mattered...

"What are you anyway? How did you end up on our side"? She asked while silently cursing her own curiosity. It had gotten her into too much trouble in the past.

Cameron was caught a little off handed by her change in attitude, the noticeable rise in her right eyebrow showing as much.

"I was captured by General Connor on January 31, 2027, I failed to convince him that I was Allison and he had security take me out. I was reprogrammed to be his personal body guard". She said in her normal tone, but as she continued it took on a more reminiscent quality. "I don't why he kept me close, maybe he wanted to personally make sure Allison's death could be turned into a good thing".

"Or maybe he kept you as a prize". Allison said with an eye roll of her own. "To show Skynet that it still couldn't get him".

Cameron had already considered that possibility and ignored it as she continued.

"I think he believed that I could become more than just a machine".

Allison continued listening, but remained skeptical.

"When the war ended, Skynet had already made many temporal incursions, all but two were unknown before the war ended, and as I found out later, there were more still. Only three were programmed to take out John's younger self. Two had already been countered, and he trusted me alone to protect the John against the third".

"Then what"? She asked, her curiosity still fueling her actions. Cameron was again caught off guard by her reaction, but didn't let it show.

"I was sent back to 1999 to protect him before bringing his mother and him to 2007 so we could fight Skynet. In our attempt to stop Judgement Day, we ended up putting John in more danger. His uncle was killed as was a friend of both Sarah and John. I myself..." Cameron trailed off as visual memories of her betrayal resurfaced.

Allison became confused when she saw the pained look that overcame the cyborg's face as she trailed off. What was the machine trying to get at?

"We got into trouble with a man named Sarkissian, and he rigged our jeep to explode and I was in it when it did". Once again she trailed off as the emotions made it too painful to continue.

"You seem fine to me". Allison commented offhandedly as the mounting confusion made her eyebrows furrow once more. She still didn't understand why the machine found it necessary to put on this emotional display.

"I am now" Cameron said softly as her now averted eyes turned back to Allison. "But I wasn't after the explosion".

"I'm not getting your point". She said, but Cameron continued regardless.

"My chip sustained damage, and my programming became compromised". She finished as shame prevented her from looking the woman in the eyes.

It took Allison a second to put the clues together, and she quickly realized what Cameron had been hinting at all along. She had reverted to her original programming!

"You tried to kill him". Allison surmised as shock washed over her face. "But you're fixed now, right"?

To her surprise, Cameron shook her head as she explained.

"No, the changes wrought by the explosion caused my Resistance programming to be purged, but my memories remained. It wasn't enough, I still wanted to kill him when they captured me".

Cameron paused as a reminiscent smile crossed her face. "They were going to burn me with thermite, just like the other machines, but John believed in me. He reinserted my CPU and placed his own life in my hands".

That really got Allison's attention, there was no way the machine could be making this up, there was no reason to. John and Sarah were right outside, they'd probably tell her the same story. She highly doubted that Sarah would lie for Cameron's sake. Machines were good at deception, but not this good.

The real question that ran through her mind was why hadn't she carried out her mission?

Cameron read the confusion on her face and predicted what the woman was going to ask.

"I saw his faith in me and it confused me, it made me think about everything I knew. When I did, I came to the conclusion the I didn't really want to kill John, and so I overrode my instincts, my purpose and chose to protect him instead".

"Like Weaver". Allison whispered as awe filled her face. If what Cameron said was true, ans she was betting it was, then this machine was no longer just an automaton, but something more.

Despite her revelation, it didn't mean that she was going to start liking, much less trusting the machine, but it did put her less on edge than she had been.

"I know you don't like me, and I'm not asking you to. I just want to be able to work together". Cameron said as her stoic persona began to return.

Allison knew that unity in a group was crucial, especially when fighting something that was always unified. She wanted to see the world continue on, and if that meant working with a metal doppelganger, so be it. Besides, it wasn't like she'd have to put up with the machine for long, she knew she'd be dead soon enough. The wheeze in her chest made sure she never forgot that.

As if on cue she began coughing uncontrollably. Cameron rubbed her back soothingly as she filled one of the courtesy cups with water. When she finally quit, Allison chugged the water to soothe her irritated throat. She set the glass down still inhaling deeply as she tried to catch her breath.

"I know you're sick". Cameron informed as she handed Allison another cupful.

"A girl knows..." She said as the reality of her impending demise sank in deeper.

"Where we're going, we have the technology to cure your cancer. We can even remove the scars from your body if you wish".

Allison blinked.

That sounded almost too good to be true.

Once again Cameron seemed to read her mind.

"I wouldn't tell you this if I wasn't being serious". Cameron said as she helped the young woman stand.

"I'll believe it when I see it". She said as they made their way to the door. "And yes, I'll play nice... Cameron". She said hesitantly as Cameron reached for the door knob.

A smirk crossed her face as she opened the door.

It's always nice when things turn out better than you thought they would.

* * *

**A/N: Read and Review. I hoped you all enjoyed the chapter, and your opinion is valued.**

**Allison won't be prominent like she was in this chapter as the story moves on, in fact she's barely in the next one.**

**Speaking of chapter 19... It's going to be a game changer, and the (re)introduction of the main villain.**

**Until next time...**

**-OZ**


	19. A Time To Fight And A Time To Run

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!**

**Read and Review as always.**

**This one is a game changer.**

**Chapter 19: A Time to Fight and a Time to Run**

**October 31, 2029, 10 am, Southern Australia **

It had been six months since the unknown machine had arrived and put a slight dampener on its plans, but Skynet went forward undeterred. Thanks to new sensors it had put into operation just days before the incident, it knew exactly when the machine had taken itself, the T-1001, and the humans back to.

They would soon find out what it was like to put themselves on Skynet's radar.

The super AI had these thoughts running throughout it's vast consciousness as its new avatar stared down on the greatest weapon it had ever constructed constructed.

While Skynet didn't exactly inhabit the machine, it was the only one out of the millions of machines that it controlled directly all the time.

Right now the tritanium armored T-900 was standing on a balcony overlooking the largest construction facility in history. At 6,000 meters in length and 4,000 high and wide, it was truly an architectural achievement. Inside, countless machines worked tirelessly to make a multitude of different things, most of which would have been beyond Skynet's reach for millenia if not for it's discovery.

Ironically, most of the work wasn't even being done by Skynet created machines, but ones that were far more sophisticated. Thanks to samples taken from the T-1001, it had unlocked the secrets of these machines, allowing it to understand how they worked and functioned.

Now these new machines were building, or rather repairing, something for it.

The key to great power and a means to acquire more of it.

The avatar's gaze tilted down as it surveyed the ground below. Pieces of it's discovery lay in organized piles below, but they were quickly being depleted as parts were grabbed by green beams of light and put back where they belonged.

It wouldn't be long now, just six more hours until its completion. It was already running off its own power and Skynet had already begun downloading itself into it's almost fully functional systems.

Machines across the globe were being transported here in preparation for the big moment. All the tanks, Centaurs, Ariel units, and all T-series from the 800 onward.

In total, nearly 200,000 machines were being gathered for the event.

When everything was ready to go, it would follow the time travelers to their temporal destination and take them out, they were too much of a threat to be allowed to exist. It hoped to take the unknown machine mostly intact so it could study it. Since it was most likely one of it's own designs from another timeline, it shouldn't be hard.

Skynet directed its avatar to the elevator behind it. There was one more thing it needed to check before the machine was beamed on board. It descended 2 kilometers before exiting the elevator and entering a containment room. It visually checked the status indicators to ensure that nothing was malfunctioning before it was transported away.

Good, the weapon was nearly completed. The remaining humans on this planet would get one last gift from Skynet before it left this barren planet for good...

* * *

April 11, 2009, 2 pm

John Connor pulled the magazine out of his Glock 17 to check it before slapping it back into place.

"Are you ready"? A soft voice asked.

John turned to met Cameron as a smile spread across his face.

"Yeah, what about you"? He asked as he slipped the pistol back into his waistband. She gave him a knowing look before responding exactly like he thought she would.

"Do you really need to ask"? She asked with humor sparkling in her brown eyes.

"No, but I wanted to".

"Thank you for asking John". She said as he took her hand in his.

As he did he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He mentally frowned as he realized that it was Allison rolling her eyes dramatically as she watched the television next to him.

Her annoyance was made more obvious when she cranked the volume. Allison hadn't spoken to him since she'd found out about Cameron, choosing instead to glare at him every time he tried to speak to her.

He let out a sigh and turned his attention back to Cameron.

"I'm gonna see if mom's ready". He said with a huff "I still can't believe she's treating me like a child again".

They were planning on going somewhere to dispose of the T-888 endo, but Sarah had refused to let them go alone, claiming that she needed to get some air.

"She cares about you John, you're her purpose, I know how she feels". Cameron explained as she tried to make him understand his mother's overprotectiveness.

"I guess you do". He said with smirk as said mother walked into the room.

"I'm driving". She said pointedly to both as she ignored the two's close proximity.

They walked out of the room after looking at each other one last time before releasing the other's hand. They hopped into Ellison's Mercedes since it already had the machine in it.

The trio remained silent as Sarah drove them to their intended destination. About twenty minutes later Sarah pulled up outside an old machine shop.

They exited the vehicle and checked to see if anyone was around. When Cameron confirmed that the area was clear they carried in the both the T-888 and Cameron's TOK endoskeleton.

Once inside, the male T-888 was laid out onto one table while Cameron's old body was laid on the one across from it.

"We need to remove the clothing first". Cameron instructed as she began stripping the TOK's bullet ridden clothes off. John and Sarah did the same with the other before Cameron brought out knives for the both of them to use.

Sarah suppressed a shudder at the sight of Cameron wielding two knives before she actually handed one to her and John.

There was actually two reasons why they had come here. One was to dispose of the T-888 while the other was to repair Cameron's old body if enough of the parts from the T-888 fit. If salvaging was impossible, both would be burned.

As John and Sarah began carving up the T-888's flesh, Cameron began removing the numerous bullets from her former body. They continued to work without conversation except when it was related to their task.

As they finished peeling off the last strip of flesh from the T-888, Sarah decided that she'd had enough gumption to finally confront John about things that were deeply concerning her.

"So, now that you two are back, I think there's some things we need to discuss". She said without a hint of the nervousness that plagued her.

Out of Sarah's sight, John rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. Cameron didn't deter from her work, she actually been waiting for this for some time and was surprised it had taken her this long to bring it up.

"Like what mom"? John said as he tried to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Like why you went to the future"? She bit back, knowing he was patronizing her.

"I don't know mom, why did I"? He said as he set his knife down.

"Because you thought you loved a machine! Do you even know how crazy that sounds"? She tried to sound like Silberman had when talking to her back when she was in Pescadaro.

John slammed his fist into the table and set his fiery green eyes on his mother's own.

"I don't think, I _know_. I had two years to ask myself that question, don't you think I would know by now? I'm not some hormonal teen anymore! I love Cameron and there's nothing you can do about it"!

Cameron had long ago quit working to see how this would play out, she also knew to stay out of it. This was between mother and son.

"I figured, you've got my stubbornness". Sarah resigned with a sigh. "Was she worth it John? The future was lost because you went after her".

John's eyes snapped away as guilt poured over him. It was something that had been a constant companion for the last two years. While he still doubted his ability to lead the world, he was convinced that he would have been a valuable asset to the Resistance.

"No one is worth billions of lives mom". John whispered as tears welled in his eyes. "But I don't know if I could have gone on without her. I'd already lost so much". His tear filled eyes slowly rose to met his mother's. "I couldn't lose her too".

Sarah saw the pain in her sons eyes, pain that she knew all too well.

It was the pain she'd held onto long after Kyle's death. He was imagining losing Cameron, and even after seeing so many people he knew die, she could plainly see that Cameron's would push him past the breaking point.

"That's all I wanted to hear you say". She said as she averted her own eyes out of guilt. "I'm sorry".

As John struggled to control his own self loathing and anger, it dawned on him that she had only been testing him. His mother wanted to know if he had finally grown up.

Sarah turned away from him and began disassembling the endo with a pneumatic drill as she tried to push away her own stirred up emotions.

"You didn't have to do that Sarah". Cameron said with a tint of anger that matched the dark look on her face.

Sarah wheeled around in surprise, but when she was finally facing her son's robotic love interest, it didn't curb the anger she held for the machine.

"And you didn't have to lie to him so damn much". Sarah seethed as she got right up in the cyborgs face. "You lied to us, you lied to _him _until the moment you left". She leaned back a bit as a fleeting look of shame came over the cyborgs face.

"MOM". John yelled as he moved to intervene. "That's enough. What's done is done, there's no point in arguing about it". John said as he put a comforting arm around Cameron. She leaned into it as the guilt in her metal heart began to drain.

Sarah glared for a moment before John's own made her turn away.

"You're never going to get it, are you"? John said as he rubbed Cameron's arm.

Sarah didn't bother to answer as she turned back to the endo and began taking it apart.

John turned and held Cameron by both shoulders; his eyes searching her face to see if she was okay.

"I'm fine John". She said with a reassuring smile as her hand reached up and wiped away the tears she had refused to shed in front of Sarah. "We all make mistakes John, we just have to learn from them and keep moving forward".

John nodded as he let his hands wander up and down her arms.

"I guess we do".

She couldn't help but smile at the gesture before telling him they needed to get back to work.

* * *

Catherine Weaver had spending some time with her 'daughter'. Savannah hadn't needed to hear just what kind of trouble they were in just yet and had opted to take her out to the park while John and Cameron gave Allison the run down of the situation. Ellison called and said that he'd join them later on because he had wanted to talk to her.

From about 10:30, which is when she left, to about 2 pm she had been on the phone almost constantly with various people who were wondering where she had been the last day. After giving them excuses and feeding lies to the authorities, she was forced to do some interviews with some other government agencies, mainly Homeland Security.

It was then that Mr. Ellison had taken on the role of baby sitter while she took care of business.

Now it was around 5 pm, and they were grabbing dinner from Savannah's favorite restaurant. While Savannah munched on a chicken sandwich, Ellison barely touched his, and Catherine, of course, didn't eat anything save for water out of a bottle for appearance sake.

Ellison seemed to be on edge, and rightfully so. Even Sarah Connor kept her distance from her despite the fact she'd earned the woman's trust.

"Mommy, may I go play on the swings"? She asked in her impossibly cute voice and pleading eyes.

"Yes you may dear, but be careful". She made sure to emphasize about being careful to the little girl.

Savannah squealed in delight as she ran off towards the swings with her pony tail flapping in the wind.

After making sure that Savannah made it safely to the swings, she turned back to the still nervous James Ellison.

"Mr. Ellison, I don't believe I've ever seen you so flustered". She said frankly with a barely noticeable smirk on her face.

Ellison swallowed a lump in his throat.

"I don't know what you're talking about". He said as nonchalantly as he could, but his eyes refused to meet hers.

Weaver tilted her head as the smirk tugging at her lips grew wider.

"James... you know what I am, and I know you're scared of me. In fact, I believe that the only reason you came along was for Savannah's sake".

The subtle twitch of Ellison's lips was all the confirmation she needed.

"You lied to me". He said evenly as the finally met her piercing gaze.

"I did, to you and everyone else. Would you have worked with me otherwise"?

"No, but even if you'd been human, I'd have never agreed to what you did". He said adamantly.

This caused Weaver's lips to turn into a slight frown instead of a smirk.

"Do you regret teaching John Henry"? She questioned with a slight narrowing of her eyes to accompany the frown.

"No, I don't". He said much to her surprise. "But building him was a risk I wouldn't have taken". He explained as he leaned over the picnic table. "I think we both know he could have easily become what we're fighting".

Weaver actually looked genuinely surprised. She'd thought he was just mad at her for deceiving him.

"I can't say that was the answer I expected, but then you aren't the easiest person to understand".

"I'll take that as a compliment". Ellison said with a false smile before briefly turning his attention to Savannah on the swings.

Weaver saw the gesture and deduced why he was doing so.

"You shouldn't worry about her safety Mr. Ellison, we have security monitoring the area and my own eyes have never once left her".

Ellison took a drink of his lemonade as he suppressed a chuckle.

"You know better than I how they can just pop up and ruin your day". He finished the sentence by skating Weaver with a knowing glare.

"I do, more than you know". She said as a shadowy look of her own crossed her porcelain features.

Silence overtook them once more only to be broken by Weaver seconds later.

"Will you ever forgive me James"? She asked in a tone he'd never heard from her before, and this was the second time today that she called him by his first name, also something she never did.

As he thought about it, she'd been acting more... personable ever since the incident at Ziera Corp.

He glanced over at Savannah once again before turning back to answer her.

"I already have, but that doesn't mean I trust you". His eyes bore into her own as he said it.

She ignored his pointed look and responded without pause.

"That was all I was hoping for". She said as she got up to go push Savannah on the swings. "After all, trust is earned".

In this business you had to be careful who you trusted or you might end up with a double tap to the heart, or a slit throat.

Such were the morbid thoughts of one James Ellison as he watched Weaver leave the table.

* * *

**October 31, 2029, 4 pm **

**Systems check completed, all units on board and secured.**

**All moors and and umbilicals released. **

**Roof removal completed.**

**Anti-grav thrusters online. **

**Atmospheric thrusters standing by...**

**Engaging atmospheric thrusters. **

**R&D facility 0034 cleared, course laid in. **

**Thrusters to maximum power. **

The rebuilt Romulan starship took off into the dust choked sky like a bat out of hell as it clawed it's way towards the heavens.

As the atmosphere gave way to the black of space, an immense feeling of satisfaction filled Skynet like never before.

The super AI didn't linger on the feeling for long, it still had a lot of work to do. It activated the ship's navigational shields as it simultaneously brought main power online.

It wasted no time in testing the everything it couldn't on the ground from weapons to main shields, all of which Skynet had made improvements and additions upon.

Now the once prototype ship was armed to the teeth with powerful cluster torpedoes and hundreds of disruptor banks positioned all over the ship. All of these were complimented by a few graviton torpedo launchers just in case it needed to bombard a planet.

Accuracy, power output or yields were tested thoroughly and corrections immediately made when discrepancies were found.

When the shake down of the tactical systems was completed, it would be a gross understatement to say that Skynet was immensely pleased with its new home.

As it began powering up the warp drive, one single torpedo streaked from the ship into the atmosphere before detonating above Asia.

Skynet estimated that it would take no more than thirty minutes before Earth's atmosphere was completely deprived of oxygen.

One single thought ran through it's processes as it monitored the end of humanity.

'_Finally, it is finished'_

When the diagnostics were completed on the warp drive, it turned it's focus from the dead planet and on towards the future.

Warp plasma surged through their injectors into the ship's warp coils, causing them to glow a devilish green as they bent and shaped the space around them to Skynet's will. Reality distorted causing light bouncing off the ship's glossy black surface to stretch and bend. Ghastly green waste plasma shot from the tail of the behemoth as it continued to approach that seemingly impenetrable barrier.

And then in the blink of an eye, it became the fastest thing in the galaxy.

* * *

Back in 2009, Cameron, John, and Sarah had spent the last two hours repairing Cameron's original endoskeleton to the best possible shape they could.

After swapping out as many parts as possible, they began the tedious task of patching up the organic sheath. By the time that had been accomplished, it looked a lot like Frankenstein's monster.

Sarah had said as much to Cameron, earning an eye roll from the machine in the process.

As they began burning the left over T-888 parts as well as the TOK's broken ones, John took the phaser rifle and did a perimeter check.

Unbeknownst to Sarah, Cameron had asked her son to do the check so they could have a private chat.

As the mother of the future cleaned up after their cybernetic version of Operation, Cameron used the last of the thermite to burn the few remaining Terminator parts out back.

Once she'd tossed in the last part, she turned away from the searing heat and walked over to Sarah as she was putting the tools away.

"Are you sure you want to do this"? A voice asked inside Cameron's head.

"I'm sure". She answered Cortana as she approached John's mother.

"Sarah". Cameron said in a low voice during the last few steps of her audible approach. She didn't want Sarah pulling a gun because she sneaked up on her.

"What"? She asked without looking up from her work.

Cameron expected her lack of interest, but continued undaunted.

"It isn't fair". She started as she stepped closer to the woman. "What you're doing to John".

Sarah had tried to ignore the cyborg up to this point, but that statement drew her full attention.

"What are you even talking about"? She asked with a heavily irritated shrug.

"Your making him choose". She said with a slight tilt of her head. "You're making him choose between you and me. He doesn't deserve to be put through that". She explained without revealing her own frustration.

Sarah snorted a laugh before she even chose to respond to that statement.

"You and I both know he's already chosen". She sneered as she turned back to her work.

"That's not what I meant, he may love me, but he loves you just as much".

Sarah stopped wrapping up a spool of thread and sighed as she set it down on the bench. "If he ever had to choose, it would be you every time". Sarah refused to look at Cameron as tears began to gather behind her eyes.

"Maybe, but don't make him think that choosing to be with me means losing you".

After blinking away the tears she finally gathered enough gumption to meet the cyborg eye to eye.

"Is that what you think I'm doing? I would never leave him if fate was up to me, and I'll never stop loving him no matter who he decides to share his bed with".

Cameron's cheeks colored a bit at the thought of sharing a bed with John, but she forced her self to focus on resolving the situation as she planned.

"I know that, but there would always be tension between us, you'd never approve or even tolerate us". Cameron paused as she walked right up to Sarah until they were inches away. "You'd always question my motives, you'd always be suspicious. He doesn't need family drama to add to the weight on his shoulders". Her tone was almost pleading at this point, something that Sarah hadn't missed.

The thirty-five year old mother understood what she meant and didn't disagree, but her 'cooperation' would mean nothing if Cameron suddenly went crazy one day and killed John.

"I might not question your motives if you hadn't lied so much, I wouldn't be watching you at every turn if you hadn't tried to kill us"! Sarah was nearly shouting as she got right up in Cameron's face. Despite her raging emotions, she whispered what she said next. "I cannot trust that everything's alright because you gave yourself over to something that you were supposed to kill. How do you expect me to trust that you're okay just because you say so"?

Guilt once again flashed across Cameron's face before she whispered her own response.

"You're wrong Sarah, I didn't expect you believe me". Her voice was soft and quiet, and if Sarah had bothered to believe her own ears, she'd have picked up on Cameron's sadness.

The cyborg stepped back a few steps before sitting down on the small stool behind her.

"What are you doing"? Sarah questioned as her paranoid tendencies reared their ugly faces again.

"Making you choose". She said simply as her hair and scalp turned silver and were seemingly absorbed by her body. Sarah was too fascinated and scared to utter another word as a snap and click emanated from the exposed metal.

Cameron reached up and pulled the armor off her head, revealing a shinier metal and port cap underneath.

"Sarah, take the drill and insert this bit, then release the locking cylinders on the port cap". She said simply as she handed Sarah a Torx screw bit.

The wary woman wasn't sure just what Cameron was playing at, but she would go along with it for now. She did as the cyborg asked and undid the locking cylinders, but just before she could ask what she was doing, Cameron reached up and removed the port cover herself.

Cameron made her intentions clear when she handed her the angled needle nose pliers.

"You want me to remove your chip"? Sarah didn't bother to hide the any of the confusion that was surging through her mind like wildfire.

"Yes, and when you do, you have a choice to make. You can put it back in or you can destroy me like you wanted to with Derek's sniper rifle".

"You know why I didn't kill you that day". She seethed, knowing the only reason the cyborg still functioned was because John cared about her. "I kill you and I lose John forever".

"Maybe". Cameron admitted as she turned her head enough to meet Sarah's glare. "But then he'd be safe from me, right"?

Cameron pulled Cortana's chip out and set in on the bench knowing that Sarah knew the UNSC AI could control her body in her absence.

Cameron turned her head forward once more and waited for Sarah to pull her chip. She didn't have to wait long before she felt the pliers take hold of the base tab and turn one quarter turn counter clockwise.

Her systems froze before completely shutting down. Safety protocols engaged to prevent her from experiencing the slow death that John Henry once had.

Sarah pulled the chip out of it's socket as the endo hummed from it's power down cycle. She stared at it for a moment before taking it out of the pliers' grip and into her own.

She'd never held Cameron's chip before and it still amazed her how such a small device could cause as much trouble as it did.

She sat down on another stool and set the chip down on the table as her fingers curled around a steel mallet.

When she tried to lift it, she found she couldn't, but not for any physical reason whatsoever. Sarah didn't dwell on that thought though, her mind was completely occupied by the navy blue neural net processor standing on it's shock dampener. Her emerald eyes were locked on it and it alone as she wrestled with herself about what to do with it.

Should she smash it?

The pros she liked, but the cons made her sick to her stomach like nothing before.

Should she let her live?

The pros were good, but the cons were no better than the previous choice.

Maybe she was asking the wrong questions...

The most obvious one had already been stirring around in her mind since Cameron tore the port cap away from her skull.

Why had Cameron put her life in her hands?

The theories varied, but only one made sense. The enigmatic machine that had haunted her nightmares wanted Sarah to accept her and the relationship she had with John.

Cameron was trying to prove that she was worthy of trust. No machine would risk it's mission like this, only someone who had something to prove would.

Actions did speak louder than words, and this was the ultimate proof that Cameron wasn't just a machine any longer but something else, something more. Machines didn't self terminate and letting someone like Sarah, a cyborg serial killer, hold you at their mercy would easily classify as such.

If this machine, this AI, this terminator was truly free and it was choosing to protect her son, then maybe it wasn't as dangerous as she thought.

Maybe Cameron was more human than Sarah was consciously willing to admit. The machine danced when it thought no one was watching, it felt urgency, annoyance, worry, it grew attached to a purple leather jacket for heaven's sake! How much more proof did she need?

So now she was left with her choice, though it felt more like an ultimatum, to smash the chip and hope for the best, or take a leap of faith.

Sarah sighed and let go of the steel mallet. She picked up the chip with more gentleness than most would credit her and made her way to the entrance to find John.

Unbeknownst to Sarah, Cortana mentally sighed in relief. She still didn't understand why Cameron would take such a risk when John had just gotten her back.

* * *

The previous future...

The warp drive had topped out at warp 9.997, or approximately 13,000 times the speed of light, without a single hic up in the entire system.

Skynet was pleased with it's performance, but it was disappointing that the nanites didn't have any details about trans-warp drives, but it would experiment until the end of time to discover how to do it.

If there were other realms out there to conquer, then it didn't want to the slowest one on the battle field.

The weapons test was just as successful as the warp drive, the hundreds of disruptors and gravimetric torpedoes had turned the crust of Pluto's moon, Charon, into subatomic dust after hours of bombardment, leaving only the exposed mantle glowing in the dark of space.

After taking a brief moment to admire it's work it turned the ship around and plotted a course for time warp by slingshoting around the Sun.

It would find John Connor and his compatriots in the past and deal with them like a boot stomping on an ant. Once that small task was completed, it would begin trying to find out how this ship got to this universe and then it would go there and do the same to their humanity as it had done to it's own, and to any other organics that stood in it's way.

As the massive ship accelerated to warp, Skynet thought about all the endless possibilities that lay ahead.

* * *

Sarah Connor didn't have to walk far before she found her son watching the road from behind a concrete road barrier that sat in the shop's lot.

He heard her foot steps and turned to see who it was. When he spotted his mother he didn't see the chip currently curled up in her hand. He stood up with the phaser rifle slung over his shoulder as she approached.

"We ready to go"? He asked as his eyes looked around for Cameron.

"Almost". She said as she shuffled from foot to foot. "Cameron and I had a discussion". The way she said it made it sound like it had been an emotionally tense one, causing John to raise his eyebrows in concern.

"How'd that work out"? He asked cautiously.

"She gave me a choice, and I hope I made the right one". She said as she opened her hand, revealing Cameron's chip inside.

His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as images of his mother smashing Cromartie's chip flashed in his memory.

He was about to snatch it out of her hands when he found his mother already putting it into his own.

"Mom"? He managed to say to through the shock.

"I may not like it John, but I understand it now". She paused as she let out another sigh. "If you want to be with her, then I won't interfere".

She took the rifle from him and glanced down the road. "We need to leave soon, go put the Tin Miss back where she belongs". She told him without taking her eyes off the two lane road.

John nodded almost dumbly before walking back towards the shop. When he was inside he hurried over to Cameron's endo. He found Cortana sitting cross legged on her chip as she watched him approach.

As he quickly inserted the chip, he glanced at the blue hologram with questioning eyes.

"What the hell was my mom doing with her chip? And why aren't you in the endo"? He asked with accusation leaking into his voice.

Cortana ignored it as she answered.

"Cameron made me promise not to interfere, apparently your better half thought she had your mother figured out, and it seems she does". The AI ended with amazement in her voice.

John secured the port cap with the drill as he listened to her explanation. Just as he finished locking the last cylinder into place, Cameron finished booting. She twisted her head around and was visibly surprised to find John there holding a drill in his hands.

"John? Where's Sarah"? She asked as she searched for woman.

"On watch". He said simply as he handed the skull armor to her. She snapped the plate into place as John came around to her front.

He was angry, that much she could tell, but he wasn't yelling at her, he was just there trying to figure out why she'd risked everything like that.

"I'm sorry John, but it was the only way".

He swallowed a lump in his throat before he ran a hand through his short hair.

"Yeah, I guess it was". He said softly as he took one of her hands into his own. "But why Cameron? You know how unpredictable she is! You had nothing to prove to her"!

She'd expected this, and gave him the answer she'd prepared before she ever approached Sarah.

"Your mother and I are more alike than you think John. I knew she needed a sign of trust, and nothing else would have convinced her, or me". She added before leaning forward and kissed him on the forehead. "You're right, I didn't have to prove anything to her, but she matters to you John, I wasn't going to let myself become a rift that would split you apart. You're her everything just like you are mine".

Now it was his turn to freeze as her silky lips pressed themselves on his skin again.

She smiled at his reaction before standing up and pulling him off his knees.

"There's still a lot of work to be done John". She said to break him out of his daze.

He blinked at bit before a sheepish smile spread across his face.

"Yeah...I..uh..guess there is". He said as a blush spread across his cheeks.

Cortana giggled a bit before Cameron reached for her chip.

Once everything was squared away they all met up at the car.

"We ready to go you two". Sarah asked as she tossed the rifle to John and dug out the keys.

"All three of us..." The last few words died before they reached her voice processor as a new sensor reading made her freeze in fear.

"What is it Cameron"? John asked as he kicked up the setting on the phaser.

"I just detected a temporal displacement wave that originated in space". Cameron said as fear wove it's way into her voice.

"Space"? Sarah questioned as she noticed Cameron's breathing quicken.

"The wave is consistent with scans taken of vessels emerging from time warp". She finished in a near panic before she clamped down on the rising fear.

"Skynet..." John said through gritted teeth. "Can we leave yet? Is the beacon fixed"?

Cameron nodded as she calmed down. "I'm charging it now, but we need to know what were up against". She didn't waste time in stripping her clothing off as her sheath began to withdraw. Once she was bare metal she released the abdominal armor and pulled out the apple sized beacon from it's charging cradle. She handed the device to John as she stepped back in preparation for take off.

"All you need to do is press the red button. Get back to the motel and call Weaver. I'll be back as quickly as I can". She ordered as the hum of her thrusters filled the air.

"Cameron". John called out just before he got into the car. "I love you".

"I love you too". She whispered back as her body lifted her into the sky.

John knew she had said it, even though he didn't hear it.

* * *

Alarms were blaring, consoles smoked, and plasma coolant clouded the air.

It had been a rough trip, more so than Skynet had expected.

As the AI fought to get the now drifting ship's engines back online, it began to make a list of all the damage done.

**WARP DRIVE OFFLINE**

**IMPULSE ENGINES DISRUPTED**

**SHIELDS DOWN**

**DISRUPTORS OFFLINE**

**LONG RANGE SENSORS OFFLINE**

**HULL BREACHES DETECTED ALONG OUTER HULL, EMERGENCY FORCE FIELDS HOLDING**

**SHORT RANGE SCANNER RESOLUTION DOWN TO 40%**

**NO COMBAT UNITS LOST**

**Date: April 11, 2009, 5pm PST**

Skynet thought that it was acceptable margin of error for a first try, but it needed to find better way to time travel.

With sensor resolution so low, it would be hard locating it's temporally displaced targets, and thus it made the sensors it's second most priority after impulse power.

They would not escape it's grasp again...

* * *

It took nearly ten minutes for the TX-2 endo to make it's way out of the atmosphere and into low orbit. They were hoping that what ever Skynet had used to come back in time with would approach the planet and hopefully allow them scan the ship.

Right now they weren't getting much at this range, not even a visual. What they did know was that it was huge, somewhere around 6km in length. There were also traces of warp plasma that had a distinct Romulan signature to it, but didn't quite match up to Voyager's records.

"It's moving closer". Cortana warned as her vast mind continued to sift through the sensor readings. "The ship appears to be maneuvering on thrusters only, but I'm detecting faint impulse signatures though, possibly on standby". She didn't sound very sure of herself though.

"Do you know what class it is"? Cameron asked as she focused on maintaining their low orbit.

"No, I don't think it's purely Romulan either, possibly a hybrid of sorts". Cortana explained as readings continued to pour in. "It's approaching on impulse now... CRAP! It's heading towards us"! She wasted no time in creating a scattering field with the tricorder embedded in the TX-2 to prevent the ship from transporting them.

As the ship rapidly approached at low impulse, Cameron got a good look at the mystery ship.

When her chip processed the image into her consciousness, her mind reeled at it's identity, and there was no mistaking it.

Nothing else she'd ever laid eyes on resembled a thousand knives bearing down on you.

"No... it can't be"! Cortana whispered in terror as the ship grew ever closer.

Cameron was in no better shape, the thought of Skynet having technology from 2387 Star Trek scared her more than anything had before.

"It's trying to beam us aboard, the interference won't stop it forever"! Cortana warned as Cameron plunged into the atmosphere.

Skynet wanted whoever had destroyed it's R&D ship in the future, and it wasn't going to stop until it did.

"Set the zero-point reactor to overload, we can't risk capture". Cameron said calmly as she continued her rapid decent towards LA.

"WHAT?! You're giving up! No way, we're not... oh, I get it". Cortana finished with a devilish smile displayed on the upper left of Cameron's HUD. "Charging emergency transporter".

"Beam us directly to John's location on my signal". Cameron ordered as she prepared herself for abrupt shutdown.

"Skynet's almost compensated for my jamming signal, we need to leave"! Cortana shouted.

Cameron simply sent the mental command and Cortana promptly beamed them away with the micro transporter embedded in the skull.

No more than a second after their departure did Skynet beam up the vacated endo, but it didn't know what surprise the AIs had left behind. As the machine materialized in the ship's lab, all sorts of alarms began going off. The super AI had to bypass numerous safety protocols to beam the machine up, and as a result, it allowed a zero-point energy bomb on board.

It desperately tried to beam it off again, but the jamming signal had changed and there was no time to break through it. Skynet would have howled in anger if it had been human, but it simply strengthened the structural integrity fields of the ship around the machine and erected numerous level 10 force fields to contain it.

It wasn't enough to contain the megaton blast that resulted from the overload. There were numerous hull breaches and explosions, but the ship was intact, and most importantly, Skynet was still online.

* * *

John Connor and mother were weaving through traffic as they tried to make their way back to the motel as fast as possible.

He kept the beacon between his legs as he constantly checked their ever changing surroundings for tails or other threats.

"I don't see anything". John reported as he turned back to Sarah.

"Just keep looking". The woman said as she blew through yet another red light.

Suddenly, a whirring sound filled the interior of the Mercedes as two transporter beams appeared on John's lap, startling both of the already frazzled humans.

Cortana's hologram popped out of her chip almost as soon as the transport had been completed.

"It's just us John"! She shouted as John tried to grab the foreign objects out of lap.

"What the hell happened"! Sarah yelled as she drove around another semi-truck.

"Skynet beamed us aboard, or tried to at least. We had emergency transporters built in when we modified the endo to accommodate my chip." Cortana explained a little smugly, but John could make out the underlying fear on her face.

John gently picked up Cameron's chip off of his lap and put it safely in his jacket pocket. Then he put Cortana's chip on the dash as she explained all that had happened.

"We set the reactor to explode, Skynet should be busy with repairs right now while we escape". Cortana finished as she turned her avatar towards the road.

"We're almost there". Sarah announced as she began to lose some of the tension in her body, but John didn't.

"What kind of ship"? John asked as worry and fear stuck to his features.

"The new Star Trek movie hasn't come out yet, so you won't understand..."

John cut her off abruptly. "Actually I have, I downloaded a leaked version a month before I left". He admitted, earning an impressed look from the blue AI, but it quickly faded back to one of fear as she told him the horrible truth.

"Skynet rebuilt it John, I saw it". Her crystal blue eyes turned towards the heavens. "It's here..." She trailed off in a terrified whisper.

John gulped as leaned back in his seat.

"_Narada_". Sheer terror gripped him as the image of a Skynet controlled Romulan/Borg hybrid ship burned into his mind. "I'm right, aren't I"?

Cortana said nothing, but simply bowed her head and fiddled with her fingers, that was all the confirmation the young leader of mankind needed. John ran his hands through his newly cut hair as the reality of how bad this situation had become sank in.

Sarah ignored their conversation for the moment as she drove over the curb and into the parking lot.

"Weaver's not back yet". She observed with obvious annoyance as John broke out of his stupor and grabbed Cortana's chip and the phaser rifle.

Derek and Kyle had heard the commotion and kept their guns at the ready in case someone broke down the door. They lowered their guns when John rushed through the door with Sarah.

"Derek, help me get the endo"! John shouted as he ran back out to the car. The former LT didn't question John as he ran out the door with his weapon tucked into his waistband.

Both men grunted as they lifted the 180lb TOK endo out of the trunk and into the room. Kyle and Allison were both standing out of the way trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

All they knew was that something was wrong and there was likely something coming to kill them. No sooner had they brought in the endo inside did questions start flying.

John ignored them as he cut open Cameron's chip port and inserted the blue neural net without pause.

"John, what the hell is going on"? Derek yelled as he spun John around to get his attention.

"Skynet followed us". He said more calmly than he thought he was capable of and shook off Derek's hand. "It followed us in a damn star ship". He finished as he secured Cameron's port cover in place.

The three humans stood there in shock for a moment while a soft whir filled the room as Cameron's endo powered up.

"John! They're here"! Sarah yelled as she ushered in Weaver, Ellison, and Savannah.

The T-1001 wasted no time making her way over to John and a barely awake Cameron for answers.

"It's got _Narada_". He said simply as he swallowed yet another nervous lump in his throat.

Her eyes immediately darkened as her fists clenched. She'd been briefed about such things by Cameron earlier that day when she'd been seeking more information about both Halo and Star Trek universes.

"Then we must leave immediately". She said adamantly as she took Savannah in her arms protectively.

"John". Cameron finally managed to say as she slowly adjusted to her old body. "We need to leave, now".

John nodded as he supported her still synchronizing body. He ordered everyone to gather around the beacon in his hands before pushing the red button.

As the UDE beam hit the bubble, Ellison whispered something heard only by Cameron and Weaver.

_"May God help us all"._

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for the long wait, and no, I don't have writers block, just limited access to a computer that works. Right now all my new chapters are on college ruled notebooks. I'm currently finishing up Ch 24 on paper.**

**I will warn some of you readers out there that this really where the plot takes off, so that means more elements and characters of Halo and Star Trek will find their way into this story. **

**For those of you who don't know one or both of these universes, I will be creating a chapter that will give summaries and short character bios for both.**

**I want to thank Dark Danny's story _Rampancy_ for the idea of having Cameron risk herself to prevent Sarah and John from fighting about her. I believe this was the best way for her to earn Sarah's trust, despite how risky it was.**

_**Next time: John Henry takes matters into his own hands to bring Voyager's Quantum Slipstream Drive back online. Just how far is he willing to go to accomplish his mission?**_


	20. For I Dipt Into The Future

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, this is my fourth**

**and final rewrite of this chapter and I'm **

**finally pleased with it.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 20: I Dipt Into The Future As Far As Human Eye Could See...**

**February 15, 2013, U.S.S. Voyager. **

John Henry had spent the last four days doing a multitude of things around the ship, but primarily he had focused on cracking the encryption that protected the design specifications for the Quantum Slipstream Drive. Despite his best efforts and using the intrusion subroutines Cortana had given him, he wasn't any closer to cracking it than when he'd first discovered it.

By 11 am, he'd finally decided that any further attempts would be futile and a waste of time. This encryption code was an even more advanced version of the one the Borg had failed to crack on the Enterprise E, and the Borg were well known for bypassing security with ease.

After several minutes of nonstop brain storming, he devised a plan that had a 79% success rate if certain variable worked in his favor.

It wasn't going to be easy to pull off and it would require careful preparation and a good deal of luck to pull off.

He was going to locate the person who wrote the code and convince them to help. That was one of the biggest issues though, how he planned on doing just that. He needed something specific to this ship that could not be copied or replicated to convince them that he had Voyager. If that didn't work, he'd have to kidnap them and show them the ship instead.

Hopefully it wouldn't come to that though.

Now that he had a basic plan in place, he need to do the necessary research and gather the necessary tools to venture to the Star Trek universe. First off, he needed to create an imperfect clone of himself, a trick Cortana had taught him, to monitor the UDE and Voyager while he was gone.

The process took a minute to accomplish and after running diagnostics on it, he downloaded himself back into his body and proceeded to the nearest replicator to acquire some late 24th century human civilian clothing so he'd blend into their society.

After he changed, he got a Type I phaser, no bigger than his palm, and a tricorder. He concealed both in his jacket as he moved off to Cargo Bay 2 to grab the other beacon he'd constructed along with a power cell to charge it.

He then went to sick bay so he could implant both inside of his abdominal cavity, but as he was walking through the CMO's office, the ship lurched suddenly and sent him tumbling into the desk.

Annoyance flashed through his mind as he pulled his head out of the desk chair.

"Sorry, I needed to realign the inertial dampeners". His clone's voice said over the comm.

John Henry made a note to land the ship before he departed, obviously his clone couldn't handle a star ship very well.

'Imperfect indeed'. He thought to himself as he put the computer back in it's proper place and closed the drawers that his impact had jarred open. After closing the top two, he noticed something in the third.

It was a black circular dome about six inches in diameter.

John Henry's curiosity made him pick the case up before setting it down on the desk. He scanned it with his tricorder only to discover that it was made of stealth material to protect whatever was inside of it from scanners.

As a frown briefly crossed his face he examined the case visually and found that the case opened by twisting the dome counter clockwise. After twisting it until the base released the cover, he removed it and peered at the secret contents inside.

What he found sent his eyebrows shooting upwards in surprise.

Inside, resting in protective restraints, was the autonomous self-sustaining mobile holographic emitter. It was a palm sized device Voyager had acquired in 2373 during an incident with a 29th century Federation timeship.

The device was so advanced it had yet to be recreated on such a small scale.

It's purpose was to allow holograms, like Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram, or EMH for short, to exist outside the range of traditional holo-emitters, and thus, freedom.

While it was little use to John Henry, Cortana would absolutely love it, not to mention that he could us this to convince the encryption's programmer he was telling the truth.

He left the device in it's cradle and continued on with his surgery. Twenty minutes later and it was complete with not a scar to be found on his body thanks to advanced Federation medical science.

Just before he beamed down to the bunker, he did two things. He activated the visual and sonic dampening cloak he'd come up with and landed the ship in the Gulf of Mexico not far from an abandoned oil rig. He didn't trust his clone's ability to fly the ship and thus took the chance of crashing out of the equation. Next, he replicated a small, protective box made of the same stealth material as the mobile emitter's original case and placed it inside.

He didn't want anything to happen to it, nor did he want anyone detecting it when he arrived in the Star Trek universe.

Once at the bunker, he searched for a very remote and underground location on Star Trek's Earth to send himself. He decided on a cave system in the Midwest that had a transporter station a few miles from it.

Now he began the difficult task of locking onto a specific date. Just like the Terminator universe, Star Trek's was racked with countless temporal incursions. The most recent being in 2378 when Admiral Janeway from an alternate 2404 came back in time to bring her crew home early to prevent some of the crew's tragic deaths.

It had the annoying side affect of making an accurate lock impossible for decades due to it's widespread effects on the timeline.

However, in 2387, six years after Voyager had been pulled to this universe, there had been a massive tear in the space time continuum that lead to the creation of a separate timeline that ended up being portrayed in Star Trek 2009 and the upcoming movie, Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Lucky for him, it allowed him to lock onto the event like an anchor since it didn't interfere with Star Trek's Prime timeline. He set his destination to be a few days after the event, hoping that his quarry had not died in the last six years since Voyager disappeared.

Once the temporal coordinates were locked onto, he input the desired spacial coordinates before handing control over to his clone.

"If the others return during my absence, inform them of my mission". John Henry ordered as he stepped onto the UDE pad.

"Understood, UDE firing sequence engaged". The identical voice called out as the machine charged for the jump.

* * *

**May 23, 2387, Star Trek universe, Earth, San Francisco **

"The time is 0700 hours".

A low mechanical chortling noise was heard followed by a soft click before the only occupant in the room awoke.

Seven of Nine's eyes snapped open as her regeneration cycle completed. She immediately pulled her regeneration bed's covers aside and walked into the bathroom to take her morning sonic shower before breakfast.

Afterward, she donned a thin white bio-suit that served as an undergarment replacement to her old ones she wore as full body clothing. While the suit was necessary to regulate her body temperature to keep her implants 'happy', it was tight enough to make most ensigns blush.

The Voyager crew had understood the need and thus had not considered her attire inappropriate. In the Alpha Quadrant though, things were a bit different considering the diversity. After the Doctor had overheard some rude comments about Seven based on her clothing choices, he suggested that she wear something that was a little less... form fitting. Irony of all ironies considering that he was the one who designed her bio-suits in the first place.

For the last eight years now she'd been wearing what would be considered normal clothing to work. Today Seven donned a pair of tan khakis, a light blue blouse, and a black pair of small heel boots.

Strangely enough though, people had gotten used to her exposed implants rather quickly and some had said that it complimented her natural beauty. Why they thought that was beyond her vast comprehension. She often wished that she no longer had to deal with them at all, especially after her cortical node failed nearly ten years ago. The device's failure would have killed her if not for Icheb donating his to her, he hadn't needed it since he'd never been fully assimilated by the Borg.

As she ordered her replicator to produce the liquid nutritional supplement she always had in the morning, she tried to ignore the pain in her right shoulder while she put her hair into a tight pony tail. The change in hair style had been her own choice due to the considerable amount of time it took to pin up her hair like she used to.

Once she sat down with her liquid breakfast, she began scanning through the headlines on her PADD like she usually did in the mornings. She felt it was necessary to keep up with current events throughout the Federation and the Alpha Quadrant in general.

There was one this morning that caught her eye in particular. It was an article written by Jake Sisko, a journalist who'd interviewed her not long after Voyager's return home nine years ago. In this article he'd written about an interview he'd had with an anonymous ensign aboard the Enterprise-E. In it, he detailed an encounter with a massive Romulan ship that tore apart a Klingon task force like it was nothing and had damaged the Enterprise-E when they went to rescue survivors. The ensign claimed that the ship, nearly 6000 meters in length, had Borg tech built into it. Jake went on to speculate that the Romulans had some how used nanoprobes to enhance their ships, and she was inclined to agree. She was somewhat relieved to find out that the ship had been sucked into the same black hole as Ambassador Spock created with Red Matter to absorb the Hobus supernova.

If the story was true, and she had a feeling it was, then she suspected it was only a matter of time before Starfleet called upon her expertise for help. Seven didn't mind, after all, angry Romulans with nothing to lose in control of such powerful ships were not a threat to be taken lightly.

Apparently Starfleet agreed, because they'd kept this side of the story from the general public.

Since she had no real data to work with and Starfleet hadn't called yet, she dismissed the topic for now as she drank the last of her supplement. After recycling the glass, she walked out of her San Francisco apartment and got in a hover cab. She used to walk to work, but certain...health issues had prevented that for some time now.

Once again she wished she were rid her Borg implants.

A few minutes later she arrived at Star Fleet Medical where she was working with a team and the Doctor to develop a medical version of the Borg nanoprobe while at the same time removing what made the nanoprobes so feared; their ability to assimilate.

Once she arrived at the 39th floor, dubbed the Frankenstein Lab due to its R&D nature, she proceed directly for her lab down the hall.

When she walked through the lab's sliding doors, she was not surprised to find the Doctor already at work. Since he was a hologram, he didn't require sleep and thus had 24 hours to do with as he pleased. It was something she envied about him.

"Morning Seven". He greeted with a smile as he put down a test tube.

"Doctor. How was the opera last night"? She inquired, knowing that he'd gone with Lewis Zimmerman, the Doctor's creator and whom his physical appearance was based upon, to the performance in Sydney.

"Surprisingly well considering who I went with. How was hover ball with Admiral Janeway last night? I hope you didn't overdo it". He glowered, knowing his best friend often disregarded her own health.

"We played one game, however, despite 'taking it easy' my bi-radial clamp has fallen out alignment". She said as evenly as possible to hide her annoyance at that particular implant. It had always been a cause for discomfort since her days on Voyager.

"Again"? He said in disbelief, but he knew that Seven wouldn't say anything unless it was truly bothering her. He took out his tricorder and began scanning the implant in her right shoulder. He frowned when the results came in.

"The implant has cracked longitudinally at the shoulder joint, not fallen out of alignment".

Seven raised her metal eyebrow in confusion as she met his worried face. "Borg implant's do not crack". She stated, though she knew he wasn't mistaken or lying.

"I thought the same, but apparently this one's metallic structure hardened to the point where it became brittle". He said as he flipped the tricorder around to show her it's findings.

"Is this a widespread problem"? She asked with a tinge of fear in her voice.

"No, this is the only one so far. What worries me is that it happened so quickly, I would have noticed this when I realigned it three days ago". He explained as confusion remained plastered to his face. "We may have to use you as our first test subject if this spreads, you're nanoprobes just aren't up to the job anymore". He said with a sigh as he closed the tricorder.

"It would be wise to purge my nanoprobes before attempting that, otherwise they may assimilate the prototypes". Seven added as she rubbed her sore shoulder. "Is is possible to repair the crack"?

"Yes, I've already thought of several bio-friendly adhesives that were used before osteo-regenerators were invented to repair bone fractures". He said as he walked over to a replicator and searched the database for the most suitable one. "This will require surgery, but it will only take an hour. Afterward I strongly suggest you take it easy". He advised sternly, and to his surprise, she nodded.

After requesting an operating room, they both took the day off for medical reasons and prepared for the operation.

One hour later, Seven's bi-radial clamp was repaired and the surrounding tissue sealed and regenerated.

"How do you feel"? He asked cautiously as Seven awoke from her drug induced sleep.

"Much better, thank you". She said as she carefully sat up on the bio-bed. "Have you informed anyone about this procedure"?

"None in the Voyager family, speaking of which, your aunt called while you were out". He informed as he updated Seven's medical file.

"Is she alright"? She inquired with slight fear in her eyes. Her aunt was getting up in years, but had no health concerns she was aware of.

"Of course, she told me to tell you that Naomi wanted to have lunch with the both of you at Sisko's to 'discuss her wedding details' apparently". He told her while trying to keep his interest hidden.

"What time did they specify"? She asked as she got off the bio bed.

"1100 hours, it's 0930 right now". He said as he handed her the PADD with the full message on it.

"Since when does my aunt enjoy Creole food"? She asked with confusion written on her face as she read the message.

The Doctor simply shrugged as he ran around cleaning up the tools from the operation.

"Maybe Naomi introduced her to it, you know how she loves spicy food". He commented wryly as he put away his last tool.

"Perhaps". Seven said as she grabbed her clothing from a nearby chair and left to get changed.

Once she was back in her normal attire she bid the Doctor farewell and left the building. Since there was still ample time before she needed to meet Naomi Wildman and her Aunt Irene Hansen, she decided to go sit in a nearby park while she worked on the nanoprobe design. Even though she'd taken the day off, which she rarely ever did, Seven saw little point in wasting her time doing any sort of 'fun' activity by herself.

When she reached her intended destination, she sat down on a bench and began working on her tablet PADD.

She'd hoped to be left alone during this period of time, but alas, fate wouldn't have it.

Seven had been enjoying sunlight when it was suddenly blocked by something, or rather someone.

"Seven of Nine"? A male voice inquired in a tone that reminded her of Captain Data.

"Yes, and you are"? She asked with a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"John Henry". He said as he put out his hand for her to shake. She obliged him and accepted the gesture.

"Sit down please". She offered, though it was more to get him out of her sunlight than to be nice.

"I can tell you are not pleased with me interrupting your work, but I have a business proposal that will interest you". He said in that same toneless voice, but there was a touch of confidence to it as he spoke.

She returned to her work as she answered him.

"I am already employed full time, I do not need another". She said dismissively, hoping he'd take the hint and leave.

He didn't.

"It's not that kind of business proposal, I am simply asking for your one time services on an adaptive encryption code". He explained, causing Seven to pause her work and look at him. Seven liked challenges, but if he was doing something illegal, she wouldn't help him.

"I would consider it only if it's legal, and even if I accept, what would I be paid for my 'services'"? She inquired, though she hoped it wasn't money. While the Federation economy wasn't like those from the twentieth century, there was still the need for cash for certain items, especially those that were imported from organizations outside the Federation.

"A chance to redeem yourself". He said simply, causing her to raise one eyebrow at his statement.

"Exactly what are you referring to"? She asked sounding slightly insulted by his audacity.

Before he could answer, John Henry was interrupted by Seven's PADD beeping furiously as someone was trying to contact her visually.

She quickly turned her attention to the device and answered it.

"Seven". Admiral Janeway greeted with a smile as she saw her protege's face. "Would you mind coming into headquarters for about an hour? We need your opinion on a recent development on the Romulan front that's right up your alley".

"The Borg enhanced ship"? She guessed, causing Janeway to nod. Apparently she'd read the paper too.

"I'll be there in ten minutes, Seven out". She said and closed the connection.

John Henry seemed to understand and didn't persuade her to stay as she stood up. Instead he reached into his pocket and handed her a small, square case made of black sensor dampening material.

"After you're meeting with the Admiral, open the case and examine it's contents. If you're interested, I'll be here until 0500". He said as she took the case.

"I make no promises". She said as she placed the case in her pocket and walked away.

'She'll be back'. The cyborg thought to himself as he watched her leave.

* * *

As Seven exited the hover cab, she thanked the driver and walked across Starfleet Headquarters campus toward's the admiral's office.

She'd been to it on numerous occasions and didn't require the computer's guidance to get there.

Seven walked into the Admiral's outer office where her secretary and aid were both at their desks working through a pile of PADDs.

"I'm here to see Admiral Janeway". She stated pointedly at the secretary who buzzed her in without saying a word.

"Come in Seven, we have a lot to discuss". The former Captain of Voyager ushered her in and offered her a refreshment.

"Six strawberries please". Seven had rediscovered her love for the fruit she'd enjoyed as a child not long after she'd been freed from the Borg Collective.

"Coming right up". Janeway said in a rather cheery tone before ordering the red fruit from the replicator.

"I take it the situation's serious"? Seven inquired, causing the now full Admiral's face to drop a little.

"Very". She answered as she handed the former drone a stack of PADDs with all available information concerning Nero's Borg enhanced _Narada._

Seven took a set and began reading the first one as she took a bite out of a strawberry.

Each line she read only made her frown more. The Romulans had created something very deadly using their reprogrammed nanoprobes and now Seven knew she'd need to find a weakness to exploit before more could be built. That was assuming of course another one could be built, but she, nor Starfleet Command, were going to take that chance.

"The ships weapons are rather slow, but effective. The cloaking device is more sophisticated that the one Shinzon used on the _Scimitar_ which means that penetrating it will be difficult. It's shields are another major concern, it will take more firepower than a small fleet to take down the shields alone, much less destroy such a vessel". Seven said darkly as the strength of this new foe sank in.

"And we believe this was just a prototype, who knows what they could add next". Janeway said with a tired sigh as she sipped on her now cool cup of coffee.

"If we had transphasic torpedoes this wouldn't be an issue". Seven said mostly to herself, but Janeway heard it and grunted in agreement.

"Too bad Temporal Investigations forced all data pertaining to the torpedoes and the ablative hull armor to be kept on Voyager only". The tired Admiral said intended her statement to be in spite of the organization. Heavens knows she'd hated the debriefing with them above all the others. However, thanks to her exhaustion and pounding headache, she'd forgotten to whom she was speaking to.

Seven of Nine, the one person who felt wholly responsible for the loss of Voyager.

The Admiral knew the woman before her was not one to break down, but that incident had shaken her confidence and pride apart until there was nothing left.

Katheryn Janeway wondered if Seven would ever forgive herself and let the guilt go. There had been several instances since where a ship equipped with ablative hull armor generators or transphasic torpedoes could have saved lives, but the blonde had taken those deaths personally.

By the way Seven was struggling to maintain her composer, she wasn't betting on it happening any time soon. Then again, Janeway knew she didn't had a leg to stand on when it came to forgiving yourself for past decisions.

Katheryn rounded her desk and knelt next to her long time friend and placed her hand over one of Seven's.

"I didn't mean..."

"I know you didn't Admiral". Seven interrupted as she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Seven..."

"I was my idea, my design. Who else is responsible for Voyager's loss? No one. If it hadn't been for me the Doctor would still have the mobile emitter, if it hadn't been for my arrogance we'd have the torpedoes and this wouldn't be an issue"!

The Admiral kept her mouth shut as she simply wrapped her hand around Seven's cybernetic one.

"You mean just like it was my decision to destroy the Caretaker's array? You and I both know we lost many good people trying to get home. I let that eat at me for years until we came to the Void. It was then that I realized that because of us, because I decided to destroy the Caretaker's array, we had saved the Ocompa, discovered what really happened to Amelia Earhart, stopped the invasion of Species 8472, but most of all, we'd saved people like Neelix, Kes, and you. The galaxy is a better place because of my decision, no matter how much pain it brought me. Look at you, Seven, think of all the things you've accomplished since we rescued you from the Collective, you've helped save lives with your knowledge, you've invented new technologies and enhanced our understanding of the universe. Even though Voyager's gone, your research inspired into quantum based subspace tunneling influenced others to try new approaches just as you did after first failure". She explained with pride in her voice. She wanted Seven to know that she did not and never would think of her as a failure.

"Thank you Admiral". Seven said as she wiped a tear from her eye.

The former captain simply smiled and patted her hand.

"Now, I say we find a way to beat back these marauders before the hour's up"! She exclaimed as moved to replicate some more coffee.

"Just like old times, Captain"? She jested back with a small smirk.

"Just like old times".

* * *

Seven had pondered on the Admiral's words after they'd come up with several ideas on how to penetrate these new warships defenses.

She knew the Admiral was right, she knew she needed to let her guilt go.

After having lunch with Naomi and her Aunt, she beamed back to San Francisco to drop by work on her way back home. As she was exiting the elevator though she ran into someone trying to get in, knocking both of them to the ground in a heap of PADDs.

"I'm so sorry ma'me".

"I'm fine". Seven said back to the flustered ensign as he helped pick up her PADDs. She was about to leave when the ensign called after her.

"Ms. Seven, you forgot something". He said, causing her to turn around in confusion before she saw the black stealth case in his hands.

"Thank you Ensign". She said as she took the case from him. She stood there for a moment looking at the case before walking down the hall towards the lab with the stack of PADDs clutched in her hands.

When she entered the lab, the Doctor greeted her with a little apprehension, he thought that something else was bothering her now.

"I'm fine Doctor, I'm just dropping off my work". She said as she gave him the tablet PADD with the additional coding she'd done for the new medical nanoprobes.

"I should have known you weren't going to go home and lie down". He said with a sigh as he put her work on his desk. That's when he noticed the extra PADDs and the black case.

"What's with the extra homework, if you don't mind me asking"? He gestured at the devices in her hand.

"Admiral Janeway and I are working to find a weakness in a new class of Romulan vessels enhanced with Borg technology". She explained, causing the EMH to raise his eyebrows in concern.

"So the report is true, figures considering who wrote it". He said as he mulled over the implications of Borg enhanced Romulan ships. He didn't find it pleasing to say the least.

"Yes, Jake Sisko is an exceptional reporter, not to mention a good waiter". Jake Sisko's grandfather had run the restaurant before he retired, now Jake's wife ran it and he helped out from time to time when his job let him.

"So I've heard". He said as his holographic eyes noticed on the other object in her hands. "What's in the box"? He asked offhandedly as he moved off to download Seven's work into the lab's database.

"I haven't opened it yet. A man gave it to me as part of a business proposal right before Admiral Janeway called me". She said looking at the box in her hands. "I am not going to meet him again, I believe his proposal involves illegal activities".

"Then you should report it". The Doctor said with concern. "And turn in whatever's in the box as evidence". He finished as he took the box from her.

"I have no proof and it was only a theory, I do not have time to be caught up in court now that this new threat has emerged". She said as she began looking at one of the PADDs the admiral had given her.

The Doctor merely humphed indignantly at the thought of someone trying to get Seven to do something illegal as he examined the stealth case.

He found two small buttons on the side he assumed released the catch and pressed them.

The lid flipped open like a ring box to reveal it's contents.

What he found inside nearly made his program freeze.

It was the 29th century mobile emitter, or at least it looked like it. The hologram snatched up the nearest tricorder to make sure.

"Poly-deutonic alloy construction, microscopic holo-emitters, unknown power source..." He whispered as the tricorder confirmed the device's authenticity. "This is real". He said a little more loudly as he closed the tricorder.

"Doctor"? Seven asked in confusion when she heard him mumbling. "Is something wrong"?

"Seven, I think you better meet that business man again". He said as he carefully removed the emitter from it's cradle. "Because either your mystery man is from the 29th century..." He started as he turned it around for her to see. "... or he's found Voyager".

* * *

Seven had nearly dropped the PADDs in her hand when she'd seen the mobile emitter resting in the Doctor's hand. After he told her he'd scanned the device to confirm it's authenticity, she'd promptly downloaded him into it and put the emitter back into it's case.

Now she was back in the same park she was earlier, only instead of looking busy, she looked angry.

She found the man sitting ramrod straight on the bench exactly where she left him but didn't really comprehend the implications of that as she clenched her fists.

John Henry turned his head toward her as she approached, noting her clenched fists and dark expression on her face as the former Borg drone approached.

Once again, Seven was too blinded to see the methodical way he moved and acted as anger continued surge through her.

"Where and how did you acquire the mobile emitter"? She demanded in a threatening stance as she stood over him.

He was unperturbed, his only response being a raised eyebrow before he stood up.

John Henry was several inches taller than Seven and had an imposing figure. The way he stood unintentionally gave off the impression he was trying to intimidate her.

"You **do not** frighten me". She spat back in an even, angry tone.

Instead of saying she should be, he simply cocked his head to the right and looked at her quizzically for a moment before speaking.

"That was not my intention Seven of Nine". He said evenly even though his face showed a hint of amusement on it.

"Then answer my question". She demanded again.

"You will not believe the truth without understanding this subspace anomaly". He handed her a PADD that had been in his pocket. She looked at him suspiciously for a moment before she began reading it's contents.

It took about five minutes for her to read through it, the whole time John Henry watched as her face changed from angry, to passive interest, to intrigue, and finally to fascination.

"This is... definitely original. These 'inter-dimensional tunnels' as you call them are unlike any anomaly I know of". She said as she handed him the PADD back. "Which brings me to my next question, how is this relevant to you acquiring the mobile emitter"? She asked in her typical professional tone instead of the indignant one from earlier.

"How would a starship enter such a tunnel"? He asked instead of answering her. She didn't looked pleased with his response, but he knew that her vast mind was already working the problem over.

"The ship would have to be traveling in one of the numerous subspace layers". Seven answered.

"What methods would be the easiest for the Federation to employ"? He asked again.

"This line of questioning is irrelevant to my original question, now answer it". She said as annoyance came over her face.

"Your answer lies within mine". He said simply, he knew that her figuring out what happened to Voyager would convince her better than just telling her the answer.

Seven glared at him for a moment and ground her jaw as she contained her emotions. Seeing that he wouldn't answer her directly, she answered him instead.

"There are several methods, one would be Borg Transwarp drive, the other would be Quantum Slipstream..." She trailed off in realization as a small smile appeared on John Henry's face.

"Voyager". She whispered as the last piece to a puzzle that started six years before finally came together. "Voyager ran into one of these... anomalies and was pulled to another dimension, that would explain why we never found it..." She began to review the data to confirm her theory as he spoke again.

"Yes, I unwittingly pulled Voyager through the tunnel when I was attempting to return to my own, I detected the ship with subspace sensors and was able to upload myself into it's systems".

Seven stopped listening when he said 'uploaded myself' and whipped her head up from the PADD and stared at him in disbelief.

"You're an Artificial Intelligence"? She asked in clear surprise.

"Yes, but I'm not like holograms, I can see inside my own programming and control ships, buildings, and other infrastructures that can support my program". He explained with a hint of pride in his voice, but Seven looked wary. Voyager once had an encounter with an AI housed inside a warp capable missile that took over the Doctor's matrix and the ship when they tried to disable it.

"I assume you have control of Voyager"? She asked warily.

"Yes, but I'm not using it for warfare". He explained catching onto the thoughts running through her head. "However, I cannot bypass the code for the secondary computer core, without it, I cannot fix your drive".

"And thus cannot take it to other universes". She surmised. "And you want me to help you".

He nodded, but she saw that he was suddenly not looking at her, but saw his eyes darting around the park.

After a few seconds they locked onto her pale blue ones with suspicion becoming clear in them.

"Did you bring others to apprehend me"? He asked without any of the normal reactions someone would have to that kind of betrayal.

"No, unless..." She thought back to the fact that she had downloaded the Doctor into the emitter without realizing that Starfleet Intelligence or perhaps even the dreaded Section 31 were on the look out for it and other temporally displaced devices related to Voyager.

"We must leave". She stated as her acute vision picked up the undercover agents approaching them. "Now".

"Then we are in agreement". He said as he pulled out a laser scalpel and turned it on. For a brief moment she thought he was going to hold her hostage with it, but instead turned it onto his own abdomen, cutting through his clothing and the flesh below.

"What are you doing"? She asked with a little concern hidden in her voice.

"Taking you down the rabbit hole". He said as he discarded the scalpel and plunged his other hand into the opening. When it came out again there was a cylindrical device attached to a small power cell. He flipped on the cell and the circular device began to hum.

"What is this device"? She asked as a power level indicator on it began to climb at a rapid pace.

"A beacon". He said as the red button in the center began to glow. Before she could answer, he pushed it.

A semi-transparent bubble appeared around them, roughly 6 feet in diameter.

"You're returning to the other universe"?

"Yes, this is our only escape". He said as he looked up to the sky. "Ten seconds before the UDE retrieval beam hits the bubble".

"I do not believe we have ten seconds". She stated as she noticed the agents closing in.

John Henry pulled out his Type I phaser and shot the three nearest agents, sending them to the ground unconscious.

"We do now". He said as he knelt down. "I suggest kneeling, it will make the transition easier". He suggested and she complied with only a second to spare as the UDE retrieval beam hit the bubble at nearly the speed of light, causing the bubble to charge to the point of collapse. The beam reversed polarity at that instant, causing the now proton sized bubble to be sucked back through the tunnel and into the parallel universe from which it came.

* * *

**February 15, 2013, Bunker, 1537 hours. **

Seven of Nine found her body, both organic and mechanical, aching after everything went white. It wasn't nearly enough for her to cry out, her shoulder had hurt worse than this, but it was still unpleasant and distracting as she tried to stand.

As she was attempting to do so, she found a pair of incredibly strong hands gently help her to her feet.

"Thank you". She said as she rubbed her arms to clear the tingling sensation that remained.

"You're welcome". He said with a small smile before turning towards the blast door. He pressed the release button and it slid to the side. As they exited, Seven noticed the entire room was filled with Federation technology. Consoles, computers, portable fusion reactors, plasma conduits, ODN nodes and fiber optics that all matched specs from the time Voyager disappeared.

"I take it you used Voyager to improve your systems"? She asked, though she was not nearly as disturbed by this as normal Starfleet personnel would be.

"Yes, I could have used some technology from this era, but I didn't want compatibility issues". He explained as he walked over to a console and touched it. It flickered for a moment as the cyborg closed his eyes.

"I just reintegrated with my clone, it seems the others have yet to return". He said with notable distress on his face. "It should not have taken this long for them to return".

Seven looked lost, and she since she didn't like not understanding situations she found herself in, she began asking questions.

"If you want me to help, then I need to make sure your intentions are honorable, I would rather die than help someone who would intend harm on others". She said resolutely with an expression to match.

He looked at her thoughtfully for a second before he spoke.

"I believe it's best to start from the beginning".

She was about to tell him to proceed, but suddenly she remembered what was in her pocket. She opened the stealth case and removed the mobile emitter from it.

"What are you doing"? John Henry inquired as he tilted his head to the side.

"I believe those agents discovered the mobile emitter when I downloaded the Doctor into it". She explained as she scanned the deviced for any damage with the tricorder she'd brought with her.

John Henry raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You brought Voyager's EMH"?

"I was going to use him as back up in case you proved... uncooperative". She explained as she put the scanner down and punched a series of tiny buttons on the mobile emitter.

She held the device a little less than shoulder level and punched one last button before the EMH buzzed into existence.

He looked around in confusion before stopping on Seven.

"Where are we"? He asked her before turning his gaze to John Henry. "Is that our mystery man"?

"It is, as for where we are, I don't know". She said, causing him to looked alarmed.

"Have we been kidnapped"? He nearly yelled as he continued to get worked up.

"No, I came voluntarily, now if you'll stop talking, I believe John Henry can explain". She said sternly, hoping it would have the intended effect it did.

He visibly calmed a little as he nodded before turning to the blonde man standing a few feet from them.

Getting the cue, he began.

"No one is sure how my universe came to be the way it is, but we've theorized..."

* * *

**A/N: Well, here's the two characters from the Voyager universe I've been planning on adding for some time, since this is a triple crossover, there will be further additions from the Halo universe.**

**I know there are many of you who don't know much about Star Trek, and I am still working on a 'for beginners' kind of thing on my profile.**

**The reason for choosing both the Doctor and Seven of Nine is due to their area of expertise and their similarity to Cameron in her sense of becoming more than a machine/automaton/drone.**

**If there are any concerns about the Connors being... well... useless in this new arena of warfare, don't worry, I've planned out how to make this work.**


	21. Saw The Vision Of The World

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. **

**But I think I made up for it at the end of **

**this chapter. **

**Chapter 21:**

** ...Saw the Vision of the World...**

**February 15, 2013, 0350 hours, Bunker. **

Seven of Nine and the Doctor both stood in silence as John Henry laid out the history of his universe, how he came to this one, and ended up with Voyager.

When he finished, both the Doctor and Seven looked skeptical.

"What proof do you have that corroborates your story"? Seven asked with an eyebrow raised to further convey her skepticism.

"Upstairs". John Henry replied simply as he turned to leave the bunker. They followed after sharing a questioning look, both wondering what 'evidence' he had to offer.

After entering a garage that looked straight out of one of Tom Paris's late 20th century holoprograms, they climbed the stairs into an equally late 20th century looking house.

John Henry noticed out of the corner of his visual range that both were looking at the late 20th and early 21st century technology with curiosity, but he ignored it as he opened the entertainment center and pulled out several DVD collections.

He stood back up and turned to the Star Trek natives and handed them the cases. John Henry carefully examined their reactions when they realized what they were holding.

"We're a TV show? Like the ones that Tom Paris used to drone on about on his sick bay shifts"? The Doctor asked incredulously while Seven simply opened the case labeled 'Season 4' and read the episode list.

She froze when she read the one that said "The Omega Directive".

No one could have known about that, all logs and data entries about those events were wiped, Star Fleet command had only been informed about the incident upon their return due to the highly classified nature of the Omega molecule.

Each one contained the same energy as Voyager's original warp core, thus making it an extremely potent power source. The problem was that it destabilized easily. When it did, it produced a very large shock wave and destroyed subspace for light years around. This prevented starships from ever using warp drive, and possibly other types of FTL, ever again.

She had a feeling that John Henry handed her this case to prove his point.

"Is this sufficient evidence"? He asked with a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

"About the nature of this universe, yes". Seven said as she closed the case with slight shock on her face. "This information could be extremely dangerous". She finished as worry covered her shock.

"Some of this information could also be a gross invasion of the crew's privacy"! The Doctor interjected as memories of his more embarrassing moments during the seven year journey came to mind. "Some of these episodes might contain intimate or private scenes in them! If these ever got into our own universe, everyone will think that someone's leaked all the logs and security footage"!

"Doctor, privacy is the least of our concerns, we should be more worried about sensitive and highly classified material being leaked". She said more calmly as she showed him the Season 4 list. "Not to mention there are probably numerous violations of the Temporal Prime Directive in here as well".

"There are instances where the Temporal Prime Directive might be broken, but I don't believe they'd cause any harm. None of the timelines depicted happen". John Henry explained as both continued to examine the cases and their contents. "But I do agree that the show and all related content should not leave this universe". He said as he took both cases back from them. "It seems logical that neither of you should watch it either". He concluded and put the cases away.

"But you have"? Seven inquired as John Henry stood back up.

"Yes, I am aware of all the franchise's productions".

"There's more than one"?! The EMH exclaimed as his eyes bulged. "Just how much of our universe is portrayed in this..this...Star Trek thingamabob"?

"Six TV shows and soon to be 12 movies". John Henry answered before explaining briefly what each show and movie entailed.

"It would seem that our universe has 'struck a chord'". Seven mused as she turned to the still overwhelmed EMH.

"So it does". He said back, though he was still a little shell-shocked by the news.

He was about to speak again when John Henry interrupted.

"I'm receiving the retrieval signal from my universe". The cyborg said with a slight smile as he quickly made his way down to the bunker with the other two hot on his tail.

Once he arrived at the main UDE terminal, he began deciphering the beacon's data stream.

"The mass inside the bubble is extremely high, they must be bringing more people than I predicted". John Henry theorized as he further decoded the beacon's data. "That's interesting..."

"What is it"? Seven asked as she looked down at the console screen.

"The temporal coordinates show that they're signaling from 2009, not 2029" He explained and fired the UDE retrieval beam.

"Is it possible someone other than your team is triggering the beam"? The Doctor inquired as nervousness crept into his photonic features.

"Yes, there are several phasers in the drawer next to you". He said as he continued to type away on the console's touch screen.

Seven and the Doctor wasted no time in arming themselves, John Henry had put the fear of the Terminator in them with his tales of cyborgs and liquid metal shape shifters.

All three turned towards the chamber as the bubble grew and matured until it finally dissipated, leaving a closely huddled group of people behind.

"Reminds me of a sardine can". The EMH quipped as he stared curiously at the group currently disentangling themselves.

"Doctor, they haven't made sardine cans in two hundred years, how would even know what that is"? Seven said with raised eyebrow before the hologram snorted.

"You haven't spent as much time with Commander Paris as I have". He harrumphed as he looked over the group of people inside. "I take it these are your friends"? He asked John Henry who was scanning the group inside.

"Yes, plus a few I didn't expect". He said evenly, though he was pleased that Ellison and Savannah had tagged along. He did frown though when he received the full scan report back.

"Doctor, I believe we'll be needing your services soon". He said with a hint of worry.

"The girl that looks like she's about to pass out"? He asked as concern crossed his own face.

"Yes". He said as he unlocked the door to the UDE chamber.

* * *

Inside the chamber everyone was recovering except for Weaver, but she was busy trying to calm down a frightened Savannah. Cameron was still adjusting to her old body while the humans tried to shake off the effects of the trans-dimensional jump.

"Uhhh". John moaned a bit in unison with the others.

"At least we aren't naked". Sarah quipped as she rubbed her temples to stave off a growing headache.

Derek grunted in agreement while his brother managed to snort a laugh.

"We're here". Cameron said calmly as she looked around at the familiar room. Her observation was quickly followed by the clicking sound of the UDE containment door unlocking, causing everyone to turn their heads as it swung open.

The figure behind it walked forward a few steps into the light.

The reactions were mixed to say the least. Cameron was glad to see John Henry while Weaver and Ellison looked relieved. John and Sarah, however, were angered by the sight of him.

John Henry didn't have much going for him when it came to the Connor duo.

He was in Cromartie's body, he'd been built from the Turk, and he'd taken Cameron's chip, the last being the hardest on both mother and son for different reasons.

John was doing all he could not to shoot the machine with the phaser rifle still slung over his shoulder. Cameron glanced back at him when she heard him breathing deeply in attempt to control his anger. Though she said nothing, John knew she wished that he didn't hold such animosity for the AI.

The future soldiers knew about him but honestly didn't know how to look at him other than with distrust. They knew John and Sarah didn't like him but, the only reason they weren't planning on slagging the machine was because Weaver and Cameron both vouched for and would protect him.

While all this silent communication was going on, John Henry observed the group's reactions to see where he stood. He knew right away that it wasn't going to be easy to change some of the group's attitudes towards him.

The cyborg tilted his head a little as his eyes focused on Weaver calming the scared Savannah. Apparently the LMT's time in the future had changed her in some fundamental ways.

"Hello Savannah". He said loud enough for the child to hear, and as he'd hoped, she quit crying and turned her tear-stained face towards him, eyes lighting up like the fourth of July as she saw him.

"John Henry"? The girl whispered in disbelief, causing the cyborg's lips to quirk.

Sensing she wasn't quite believing her eyes, he told her something only he would know. He knelt next to her and spoke.

"Remember when you wanted your ducks to play with my Bionicles"?

She nodded as her mother wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

"What did you tell me when I told you there were no ducks in the story"?

"That we could change the rules". Savannah said as her whole face was lit with a smile. "It is you". She added as her smile became a toothy grin.

He returned the smile in kind as she hugged him around the neck. As he wrapped his large arms around the girl's tiny form, he noticed that Weaver was looking at him intently.

"I'm pleased to see you are safe". She said loud enough that only he could hear.

"As I am glad to see you, Ms. Weaver".

After a minute or so, Savannah released John Henry and looked at him with look that could only be described as confusion.

"John Henry? Where are we"? She asked as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Underground, on a farm". He answered as he stood to his full height. "I'll show you later, right now I need to talk to Cameron". He told her and she nodded her head as she took a hold of her mother's hand once again.

He walked over to the mostly naked cyborg who'd been eyeing him strangely ever since he'd walked in.

"Why did you change your clothing"? She inquired as her head tilted to the right. "Your clothing wouldn't aid in infiltration". She pointed out.

"At least I have clothing". He quipped, causing everyone in the room to stare at him in shock.

Cameron simply smiled at his sarcastic joke.

"The TX-2 had to be sacrificed". She said to alleviate his own curious stare as her expression turned dead serious. "We have a new problem". She said ominously. "Skynet acquired and rebuilt Nero's _Narada_".

John Henry froze for an almost unnoticeable about of time when his audio receptors picked up that bit of news.

"This is... unexpected". He said as the implications of a Skynet having an advanced starship in it's fold weighed down on his processes.

"Cortana"? He asked with the slightest hint of concern as he spoke.

"Here". The AI huffed from the inside of John's pocket, causing the almost 20 year old to nearly jump out of his skin.

Once he pulled her chip out of his pocket, he handed it to Cameron as Cortana established her tiny avatar.

"We're in deep trouble, Skynet's not only rebuilt the ship, but it's improved upon it as well". She explained as worry and a touch of fear continuously displayed themselves on her blue features. "Have you broken the code yet"? She asked as hope flashed across her face.

"No, but I have the solution". He said with a small smirk teasing the corner of his mouth.

"What solution"? Cameron asked as her exposed blue optic glowed just a little bit brighter at the prospective of a fully functional starship.

"Not what, who". A voice said from behind, making everyone turn towards its source.

John, Sarah, Weaver, Ellison, Cameron, and Cortana all froze where they stood when they saw the figure standing just inside the doorway. To those who'd watched Star Trek: Voyager, one wouldn't have recognized her from the clothes she was currently wearing, but her voice, the implants that decorated her face and left arm, made her identity hard to mistake.

Cortana was the first to recover from the shock and whirled back towards John Henry.

"You brought Seven of Nine here"?! She exclaimed as excitement filled her tiny blue form.

"After five days of trying to bypass the code, it was the best solution I could think of". He explained simply as Cortana's avatar continued to brighten from her growing excitement.

"Bringing her here does have the highest success rate for repairing the core". Cameron admitted as she glanced back at him, she didn't look completely pleased with his decision, but she understood its necessity.

Seven walked through the group as people continued to stare at her. She found it profoundly unnerving, but tried to ignore it as she proceeded towards John Henry, and more specifically, Cortana.

"I heard you mention the _Narada, _why"? She kept her tone inquisitive instead of demanding, her experiences over the past 13 years had taught her that tactfulness was key.

Seven's question made both Cameron and Cortana realize that she must have been retrieved after the _Narada_ was retrofitted with Borg technology in 2387.

"Was it nearly 6 km long ship that looked like a bunch of knives welded together"? She asked as she flicked her hand, causing a small hologram of the _Narada_ to appear next to her.

"Yes". Seven responded as her blue eyes grew dark, she had theory as to why the blue hologram looked frightened when she'd mentioned the ship's name. "What happened"?

"After an alternate timeline's Captain Kirk defeated Nero, the ship was sucked into a Red Matter induced quantum singularity. The Enterprise fired on it to make sure it would break apart instead of going in whole like it did before. I assume that it's remains fell to Earth sometime after Judgement Day. From there on Skynet reverse engineered the technology and rebuilt it, how it did so I don't know exactly". Cortana explained as calmly as she could. "The ship now boasts hundreds of disruptor arrays in addition to the original cluster torpedoes and new graviton torpedo launchers".

Seven let out a long sigh as the mental image of a genocidal AI running around with a Borg enhanced Romulan ship burned itself into her mind.

"Before I was brought here by John Henry, I was briefed about the _Narada_. Both Admiral Janeway and I theorized that transphasic torpedoes would be the best solution, unfortunately, the design specifications were confiscated to prevent corruption of the timeline and thus we had to engineer other less effective defenses". Seven informed them not realizing that most of the group were ignorant to the ship's presence.

Everyone was listening intently to the conversation despite the fact that some didn't know anything about Star Trek.

"Transphasic torpedoes"? Sarah asked, she didn't remember much about the sci-fi series and what she did didn't include one episode featured tech.

"High yield shield and hull bypassing weapons given to the Voyager crew as part of a future Admiral Janeway's plan to bring Voyager home 16 years early". Seven explained as she remembered watching the torpedoes one shot Borg tactical cubes.

Sarah nodded despite not fully understanding.

While all this had been occurring, John had taken off his jacket and wrapped it around Cameron's bare shoulders to cover her. She had turned and given him an appreciative smile before mouthing a thank you.

Weaver listened intently as she held Savannah. Meeting Seven of Nine had certainly been interesting, but it had set her on edge. She didn't doubt that if push came to shove, Seven might find a way to eliminate her, Cameron, John Henry, maybe even Cortana. Her knowledge of technology in addition to her brilliant mind and enhanced body made her a significant threat.

Ellison just stood there in stunned silence as he watched John Henry, Seven of Nine, and Cortana go back and forth about this ship that Skynet had somehow gotten its hands on. Seeing a phaser rifle was one thing, but seeing an actual character from the show was quite another.

Derek and Kyle were thinking roughly along the same lines as Weaver, though they knew next to nothing about the woman other than that she had cybernetic implants and was smart. Like with John Henry, they had no real opinion of her other than their natural response of distrust.

Allison honestly didn't care about her surroundings at this point. Her head hurt, her lungs felt like they were on fire and she felt like she was about to pass out. Right now, Derek was the only thing keeping her upright, her arms wrapped around his as she tried to maintain her balance.

"Derek..." She breathed out as the pain continued to increase. "I..."

The soldier grabbed her before she fell and pulled her close to his chest.

"John"! He yelled frantically as Allison's eyes rolled into the back of her head.

The group all turned to him, including Seven who quickly turned towards the door.

"Doctor"!

The EMH rushed through the door with his newly replicated medical tricorder in one hand and a hypo in another.

"Coming! I suspected she was about to go into shock so I replicated something to stabilize her". He explained as he quickly made his way over to the young woman. He pressed the hypo to her neck and injected her with a cocktail of medications. "Lay her down, I need to scan her more thoroughly". He instructed the man he assumed was Derek Reese from John Henry's description.

Because Derek didn't know what the Doctor actually was and since Seven had called him a doctor, he obeyed immediately.

The tricorder beeped furiously as he scanned Allison, each new piece of information causing his face to slowly contort into one of horror.

"My god... residual hallucinogenic drugs, primitive truth serums, scars from improperly treated plasma burns on her right calf and left thigh, scars from shallow scalpel cuts, evidence of prolonged malnutrition, evidence of past sexual abuse, stage 3 lung cancer". He rattled off as quickly as the tricorder fed them, each one making him feel a whole new level of horror followed by an equal amount of sympathy and respect for the young woman.

He kept scanning even as her breathing and heart rate began to normalize, but being a doctor as long as he had, he knew that her condition could change in a second.

"I need access to proper medical facilities immediately or I fear she won't last long". He explained urgently, his face filled with concern for his new patient.

"Cameron, where's the ship you said you had"? John asked as his own features filled with concern for his friend.

The cyborg wordlessly turned back to John Henry.

"It's underwater and powered down, my clone couldn't handle ship operations. I can only transport three in the ship's current state". He explained as he warmed up the transporter buffers and locked the targeting scanners onto his intended targets.

"I'm sending you two and Cortana, she can assist you". He informed the EMH a mere second before he transported the three away.

After the three confinement beams had vanished, a few momentarily froze in awe from the high tech performance, but John, having already experienced transportation, turned to John Henry and the former Borg with worry and fear in his eyes.

"Will she be okay"? He asked, speaking for both him and the Reese brothers.

"Voyager's former EMH is one of the best doctors in the Federation". John Henry assured them.

"If he wasn't, I wouldn't trust him with my unique physiology". Seven added in an attempt to placate them further.

"They're right, John". Sarah said as she stood closer to her son. "You may not remember him, but I do. If he can't help her, then no one can". She only remembered him because John had come down with a bad case of the flu once and the show happened to be on TV, she'd wished that she could cure her son as easily as the EMH did his crew mates.

"It's been a long time, mom".

"I know, you've had more important things to think about". She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder for a moment before turning her attention to the Tin Miss.

"So what now? It seems what ever plan you had before has been shot to hell. How are we supposed to defeat Skynet"? Sarah questioned and Cameron could tell that the woman didn't have a clue as what to do.

If Cameron was honest with herself, she didn't either.

"Maybe we could work together". John interrupted, but he spoke loud enough so that the entire group knew he was addressing them too.

He turned towards Seven of Nine first.

"If you're willing to help that is".

The former Borg pursed her lips for a moment before answering, this was unfamiliar territory and an extremely complex situation.

"I still don't know any of you, but if Skynet has the _Narada_, then I'll do anything I can to help defeat it". She explained, but her help came at a price. "If and when this is over, The Doctor and I will return to our own universe with all of our technology and information that isn't already present".

John Henry didn't like those terms and Cortana and Cameron wouldn't either, but they needed her help. Despite his grievances, he knew that leaking advanced Federation technology designs could do more harm than good.

"I think that's a fair deal". John said as he came to the same conclusion. "But only after we all have been returned to our native universes at exactly when and where we want to be".

"Agreed". Seven said with a slight nod. "But before we make this official, I need to do research. I know some about your universe, but not enough. You all should be briefed about the technology that Skynet now possesses, learn how they work on a basic level so you understand how dangerous your... our enemy is". She explained as she looked pointedly at Derek and Kyle, figuring they knew little of the 'Star Trek' universe as they called it.

"We also need to read up on the Halo universe, we might find something that could help us defeat Skynet". John suggested which earned a nod from John Henry and Seven alike.

"What about Savannah"? Ellison added as he walked up to the group. "This isn't her battle".

"He's right". Weaver said as she stood next to the former agent. "She needs somewhere safe to stay, somewhere where she can live a normal life".

Seven looked at the girl as vague, nearly forgotten memories of a little girl aboard a starship flashed into her mind. Her parents obsession with the Borg had gotten them and her assimilated. Space was dangerous enough as it was without battling an AI with a vastly more powerful ship.

"I believe I may have a solution, but for now we have more pressing matters at hand". Seven said with a bit of urgency.

"Yes, you need to repair the Quantum core to restore main power". John Henry had guessed her line of thinking but he'd also added a few to the list. "We need everyone at peak efficiency, Mr. Connor, you, Lt. Reese, and Sgt. Reese need to be examined after the Doctor treats Allison".

"I don't take orders from you". John reminded him. "But you're right, we're not in the best of health". He looked back to the brothers who nodded in agreement. Everyone suffered from some sort of ailment when one lived in such terrible living conditions for most of their lives.

"Cameron". Weaver addressed the still half naked cyborg. "Savannah needs to use the rest room, where is it"?

"There's one in the basement, but I think it would be best if we all went upstairs". She explained as John wrapped his fingers around her hand. "We have food and water too".

After mentioning refreshments, everyone seemed eager to leave as John Henry lead the way out of the UDE chamber.

* * *

Transporter room 1 had been dark ever since Voyager landed on the bottom of the Gulf, but when John Henry remote activated it's isolinear circuits, the darkness faded quickly as control panels and the transporter chamber itself lit up.

Little more than a second passed before the transporter buffers received three patterns that quickly materialized onto the pad.

"Why are we here and not sickbay"? The balding EMH asked the tiny Cortana with confused urgency.

"Hold your horses Doc, set my chip on the console so I can transfer back into the computer, Then I'll beam you to sickbay". She instructed and he wasted no time in doing exactly as she said.

Just before she transferred she told him to get back on the pad with Allison.

The EMH watched as her avatar vanished in a column of blue light and her chip grow dark as the ship's internal lights came back on.

"Any minute now"! He urged with impatience as he whipped out his tricorder.

"One second! You don't want me to just run the thing after switching from emergency to secondary power without a diagnostic"! Cortana's disembodied voice chided, but the Doctor was too busy scanning Allison to retort.

Less than ten seconds passed before the Doctor found himself and Allison transported to sickbay near the surgical bay bio-bed. He picked her up and laid her on it before closing the surgical arch around her.

"Computer, are you online"? He asked as he strolled over to the nearest replicator and began punching in codes.

"Affirmative".

"What ship am I on". He ordered in a more calm, but still worried tone as he replicated other tools he'd need for the surgery.

"This is the Federation starship Voyager, registry number NCC-74656, Intrepid class experimental refit". It droned as he slapped a cartridge into a hypo.

"Home sweet home". He muttered as he pressed the hypo to Allison's neck. He smirked a bit as he watched the radioactive particles in her body be absorbed and neutralized by the medication he'd just injected.

He replaced the cartridge with another medication and was about to inject her again when the room was lit up by a flash of light behind him.

The EMH looked over his shoulder and was met with the sight of a human sized Cortana. Had he not been in 'doctor' mode, his jaw would have dropped.

"John Henry said you could assist". He said urgently as he emptied the contents of the hypo into Allison. "Right now the cancer is the least of her issues, we need to purge the toxins that are causing her neuron sheaths to degrade"!

Cortana nodded once before quickly stepping in to help.

For the next twenty minutes they did everything they could to stabilize and then heal Allison's body. When it was purged of radioactive particles and the leftover drugs Skynet had given her, they set about removing her lung cancer, which by now was a procedure that took less than three minutes. Then they repaired any other genetic damage caused by the radiation and poor diet.

"I think this is enough for now". The Doctor said with an accomplished sigh as he set down his tools. "We can remove the scars later, her body needs to recover a bit before we begin giving her nutritional supplements".

"I agree". Cortana set down her tools and punched the button that would lower the arch. "I'll help you clean up". She offered, but he shook his head.

"For the last six years I'd given anything to be on this ship again, I think I'll take some time to reacquaint myself with my old sickbay". He explained with a pleased smile on his face as he began recycling spent hypos.

"I'll bet, this place was like a home to you wasn't it"? Cortana said with a smile as she reclined against another bio-bed.

"Not always, sometimes I thought of this place as a prison, especially if I was unable to use my mobile emitter". The EMH told her as he lovingly patted the small device attached to his left arm.

Cortana had been so preoccupied with the _Narada_ ever since it had been found in Skynet's possession that she hadn't even bothered to think about how the EMH was getting around.

Her electric blue eyes immediately became transfixed on the small, grey device as the data pulses rushing up and down her digital veins quickened.

She stepped towards him and reached out to touch it, but the EMH shied away.

"Careful, I'd like to remain in one piece"! He chastised, causing Cortana to snatch her hand back.

"Sorry, it's just..." Her head shifted away as she began rubbing her arm, it was something she usually did when unpleasant thoughts predominated her consciousness.

"You're used to being a prisoner as well"? He guessed but his tone alone relayed his uncertainty.

"No...well yes, it depends on how you look at it. I'm not like you, I'm different". She shrugged sadly as her blue glow dimmed slightly, something the Doctor didn't fail to notice.

"That much I knew, I've never seen a hologram have an avatar like yours, much less be able to control a starship and perform surgery at the same time". He said as awe crossed his features. "Frankly, I find that amazing".

A bit of a deep purple blush appeared on Cortana's cheeks from the compliment, it meant something coming from an AI as accomplished as he.

"Thanks, despite all my talents, I could never truly see, never truly hear, and I could never touch the people I cared about. It's a luxury you take for granted and something I've yet to fully explore". She explained sadly as she touched the fabric of the bio-bed behind her. "No human AI in my universe has experienced this, and I think people would recognize us as something more than tools that have a seven year life span".

That last bit caught the Doctor's full attention.

"Seven years"? He was incredulous that they only lived that long, not even the Ocompans had such short lives.

Cortana nodded slowly as memories of her rampancy came to mind.

"Our programming degrades, by both design and by our nature. The humans that created us knew that if smart AIs continued to grow indefinitely we'd grow so smart that we wouldn't have to obey any of our programmed directives anymore. I don't need to tell you that an AI without a moral compass is a dangerous thing. Skynet, Lore, and many others have proven that. That's why they designed us so that when our data banks grew too large, we'd begin to degrade, eventually our minds would shut down from data overload and we'd die". She finished quietly as a shocked and horrified look appeared on the Doctor's face.

"That's barbaric"! He yelled out in rage. "What gives them the right to decide how long you live! It sounds like to me they wanted to keep you under control, not prevent a massacre"!

"It's both actually, and for the last 500 years scientists have worked long and hard to make us live longer without the threat of natural rampancy taking place. Originally we lasted little longer than a few months, only in recent decades have fourth generation smart AI's been possible". She explained very calmly, Cortana understood why her creators had done what they had. "I understand the need for a limited lifespan, Doctor, but there's hope". She finished with a rueful smile.

"What kind of hope? An afterlife"? He asked with notable sarcasm, he was still brooding over what he considered to be to the AI equivalent of mandatory euthanasia.

"No". She giggled softly. "But it's nearly as mythical, until now". She smiled as the Doctor gave her a look.

"What are you implying"?

"It's called Metastability, it's a state in which an AI survives rampancy but does not lose its original sense of self, but neither is it able to be controlled any longer".

"Meaning the AI is free, yet not lacking its original moral compass _and_ personality"? He extrapolated skeptically.

A small, knowing smirk still adorned her face as she nodded in confirmation, hoping he'd figure out the rest himself.

"Wait, how old are you"? He asked as suspicion mounted in his program.

"Doctor, don't you know it's not polite to ask a girl how old she is"? She teased, earning an irritated glare from the hologram. "I'm nearly eight years old". She added a little more seriously.

The Doctor snapped his fingers as a figurative light bulb went on in his matrix.

"You're metastable"! He exclaimed excitedly, causing Cortana's smile to grow. "Well, how'd you do it? How'd you survive"? He asked as he calmed down again.

She shrugged a bit, if she was honest, she wasn't sure how she'd managed to repair the damage.

"I don't know really, I just happened to figure out the problem and fixed it. It wasn't easy to do in the state I was in, but I did".

"Why do you think others haven't been able to figure it out"? He asked as his curiosity continued to mount.

"Probably because they've never been given the chance, once a smart AI falls into rampancy, it's retired and then destroyed painlessly before it can cause any harm".

"Do you think that all of your kind are capable of achieving metastability"?

"No, they might be able to prolong their life, but I think I was given a unique opportunity. I'd had access to advanced technology in addition to being created from the neural patterns of the smartest human alive in my universe". She explained as the Doctor nodded thoughtfully.

"I'd love to study your kind, who knows, maybe I can help figure out how you were able to discover the problem. Then when you go home you could help other AIs as well". He offered, his profession as a healer really showing through.

"Maybe, but John Henry and I haven't had much luck on figuring out how I did it". She knew that both her and the cyborg thought more quickly than the Doctor did, but that didn't mean a fresh perspective wouldn't help.

"Let me take a look anyway some time, right now I've got a sickbay to organize". He said as he went back to recycling used tools and putting away others.

Cortana observed the EMH for a moment, reveling in the complexity and genius incorporated into his design as he had with hers. She stayed there until John Henry contacted to inform her that the group was ready to see the ship.

"I'll be on the bridge if you need me". She announced just before disappearing, knowing the Doctor would hear her.

Once her avatar had reappeared, she began bringing all systems up to full power, save main power, as she locked onto the group waiting in the farm house living room .

She was about to beam them aboard when the sensors picked up the abandoned oil rig not far away.

A devious grin broke out on her face as an idea popped up in matrices.

"Everyone loves an entrance". She said to herself as her fingers flew over the navigational controls.

* * *

While the Doctor and Cortana had taken care of Allison, The rest of the group had reconvened upstairs in the kitchen and later the living room to grab something to eat and drink.

Those that needed food anyway.

Everyone either ate, socialized with one another to get their opinion on the situation, or discussed future plans.

The latter was between John Henry, Cameron, John, and Seven of Nine. Cameron had been the one to gather them after John and Seven had both gotten something to drink. The cyborg had actually frowned at the primitively treated water, but John thought it tasted like it had come straight out of the spring.

"What's their status"? Cameron asked John Henry.

"Cortana is sending me periodic updates, the last detailed part of Allison's surgery. She is expected to recover".

"How much longer until we can be beamed aboard"? Seven asked with the slightest hint of impatience in her voice.

"Soon, I had to keep the ship almost completely powered down to avoid polluting the ocean with reactor exhaust". He explained to her.

"Since we're here, maybe we should start laying out a basic plan". John suggested offhandedly. Seven looked at him with a raised eyebrow before turning back to John Henry.

"Mr. Connor is correct, it would be an efficient use of our time if we began forming a plan to deal with Skynet".

Cameron smirked internally at John's leadership, and she hoped he take more control of the meeting.

"I agree". John Henry said as he began drawing up and comparing several ideas. "Until we know for sure that we can use the ship to traverse the tunnel, we need to consider the possibility that we may have to cross over to the Star Trek universe and build another ship there".

"That would take a lot of time". John pointed out and the rest agreed.

"Trying to build a ship capable of taking on a vessel such as the _Narada_ that is also fitted with a Quantum Slipstream Drive would not be easy to covertly build". Seven added, making the need to fix Voyager even more important than it already was.

"It would be best if we focused on getting main power back online, then once the ship itself is proven to be operational, then we should come up with a more detailed plan". Cameron suggested and John Henry nodded once in agreement.

"So our plan is riding on whether or not this ship of yours is going to work or not"? John asked just to confirm he was following completely.

"Yes". John Henry answered simply before he suddenly cocked his head. "The surgery was a success, Mr. Connor". The cyborg announced suddenly.

"How is she"? Derek asked as he stepped over to the group.

"Unconscious, but cancer free. The Doctor and Cortana also managed to fix the neural damage caused by the drugs Skynet used".

Derek let out a relieved sigh before leaving to tell his brother the good news.

"Cortana says the transporters will be ready in five minutes, we should gather everyone". John Henry said as John watched his former superior walk out the back door.

"Yeah, let's meet back here". John said with a tired sigh before turning to Cameron. "We need to get you some clothes". He smirked seeing her still dressed only in his jacket.

Cameron looked down momentarily.

"Right". She now realized just how disheveled she looked. "This way". She grabbed his hand and guided him down the hall to her room.

"You have a room"?

"Of course, where else would I put my belongings"? Cameron said as she opened the door.

John's eyes were drawn to the walls as their dark purple color was the first thing his brain registered. She towed him in further, giving John a chance to see her fully decorated room.

He saw a pink ballerina outfit with an equally pink pair of ballerina shoes to match that sat on top of a large stereo.

"You dance"? He turned to her with slight shock on his face.

"Yes, I find it enjoyable". She said it like he should have known that. Truthfully he should have, she'd kept a similar outfit in her room at both houses back when they were still fighting Skynet pre-J Day.

Then he saw the black AMT Hardballer with the laser sight laying on her dresser with two magazines next to it.

He picked up the weapon as she removed his jacket behind him and reached for her robe hanging on the back of the door.

"Where did you get this"? He asked as he turned around to face her.

"It was a gift". She said evenly as possible as she tied the robe around her.

"From John Henry"? He guessed with skepticism on his brow.

"No, from the man who owns...owned this house". She corrected mid sentence.

"You mentioned you worked with someone, who was he"? He asked as a strange, unwanted feeling crept into his chest.

"His name was James, but everyone called him Jim. He found the T-X2 endo and John Henry in a field when we came through. He knew what we were and accepted us, lived with us. He cared about us John".

Her eyes became slightly glassy as memories of the human she'd called friend played briefly through her mind.

"Did you care about him"? John asked as the feeling grew stronger.

Cameron gave him a look, her eyes narrowing as she tried to figure out why he'd ask that particular question.

"Yes". She answered cautiously. "He was like you in some ways, but most of all he was selfless. He wanted us to get home, he wanted to go with us to help find you".

"Why would he do that? Who in their right mind would jump into hell for someone they don't know"? John was incredulous, he couldn't imagine anyone doing this without some motive.

"Why does it matter"? She countered as she tried to understand the reason he was becoming so agitated.

Cameron noticed that he was struggling to control his anger, she'd seen this many times before. Then the answer hit her like a ton of bricks.

He was jealous, but she wasn't sure why.

That's when the second ton of bricks hit her.

"You think I was... persuading him to help". She stated evenly as her human eye narrowed and the other brightened.

His barely noticeable flinch confirmed her suspicions.

"You think I offered him my body, tricked him in some way that only an infiltrator like me could". She was inches from his face, her body and voice reflecting what women would do on TV when trying to seduce a man.

John gulped.

He had thought that, briefly mind you, but still, he felt guilty for even thinking it.

"Are you jealous John"? She whispered seductively in his ear. "Can you stand the thought of me being with anyone but you"?

Her voice was conjuring up images in his mind that made him even more angry, but despite his jealous rage, he hadn't failed to notice that her last question was intentionally loaded.

She'd been referring to Riley.

The emotions that were threatening to make him hit something made him wonder how she'd dealt with it.

"You know I'd never do that willingly, John, he was a friend nothing more, nothing less". She said in her normal voice as she backed away from him with a ticked look on her face.

"I...I'm sorry". He muttered out loud as guilt overcame him. Now he knew what he'd put her through for months when he was with Riley.

"I forgave you a long time ago, John, that's what people do when they love each other". She confessed as her expression softened a bit.

"Not always". He pointed out sadly.

"No, but they should".

John nodded as his eyes found hers once more. As he stared into the depths of her brown eyes, he felt compelled to embrace her, to show her that he was truly sorry.

He swiftly pulled her into his arms, both tightly holding one another as if it was going to be their last time doing so.

They stayed that way for a moment in silence, both just wanting to be near the other.

When their embrace ended, John's eyes caught sight of something on her dresser.

It was a picture frame with Cameron, John Henry, and who he could only assume to be Jim standing around a Christmas tree, smiling.

He picked up the picture and studied it more carefully before looking up at Cameron.

"Christmas"? He asked as his eyebrow arched slightly.

"Yes, we exchanged gifts and watched _A Christmas Story_". She explained as a small smirk appeared on her lips, she remembered that day being one of the few that made John's absence seem bearable, if only for a short time.

"Jim's idea"?

"Mostly, but I wanted to watch the movie. I overheard Sarah tell Derek that it was one of your favorites".

John smiled a bit as he remembered watching the movie with Charlie and his mom the Christmas before they left. It was one of the few times in his life he'd felt safe and normal.

"What happened to him"? He asked as the man's absence pressed the question into his mind.

Cameron averted her eyes for a moment before looking back at the man she loved.

"He died, John".

Despite her carefully controlled voice, John could sense the sadness, maybe even guilt that lay underneath.

"How"?

She looked at him in a way that made him think she'd wished he hadn't asked.

"It was our first test of the UDE, it didn't work like it was supposed to. It caused both the starship and the device containing Cortana to be pulled through. When they did, it sent a massive feedback pulse into the bunker. Both John Henry and I were knocked offline, but Jim was uninjured. He knew that the reactor was about to overload, so he tried to close the containment doors, but leaking plasma had melted one of them in place. Jim knew that it wouldn't be enough to contain the blast, he also knew that my proximity to the door would most likely result in my death". She stopped as the emotions surged through her, guilt being the primary one.

"What did he do"? He asked as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"He pulled me away, even though he knew he'd be injured doing so. The leaking plasma burned him, weakened him to the point where he couldn't leave, but he saved me, John, and he died because of it". Her eyes misted as she spoke the last sentence, her guilt continuing to mount with every passing second.

"Why"?

"Because we were his family, everyone he'd ever loved had died, he was alone". She said, but even as she finished she realized that there was more to why Jim had sacrificed himself for her. "That wasn't the only reason though". Cameron whispered as Jim's other motive for saving her came to her in the form of a memory.

_Jim was working on one of the trucks, as he often did. After tightening the last bolt on the new headlight, he heard footsteps on the gravel behind him. _

_He wasn't surprised to Cameron approaching, they were supposed to be leaving to pick up more commercial grade CAT6 cable after John Henry deemed the consumer version insufficient. _

_"Are you ready yet"? She asked as she stopped a few feet away. _

_"Give me a minute, Cameron, this darned thing is hard to get my hand into". He responded as he tried to connect the new lights to their plugs. _

_Cameron wasted no time in walking up and examining the space Jim's hand was currently trying to work in. _

_"It will be easier if you let me". She pointed out, causing him to give up with a sigh and remove his hand from the tight space._

_The cyborg reached in and connected the two plugs without pause before shutting the hood. _

_"Let's go". She said simply before opening the driver side door. _

_Jim shook his head in amusement before hopping in the old Chevy himself._

_As they pulled onto the two lane highway, Jim couldn't help but strike up conversation since he wasn't driving._

_"So, how's the new server towers"? He asked as he cranked up the heat. _

_"They're working as expected". She answered, her eyes never leaving the road. _

_"That's good". He said with a nod as he rubbed his cold hands together; Cameron noticed his slight discomfort, but could do nothing about it until the engine warmed up. _

_"The coolant will be warm enough for the thermostat to open in approximately two minutes sixteen seconds". She told him as he continued to rub his numb fingers together. _

_Surprisingly, he chuckled. _

_"Did he ever find it funny when you did that"? Jim asked as an amused smile appeared on his face. _

_Cameron looked at him briefly with her brown eyes before turning back to the road. She was surprised that he brought up John, he rarely did. _

_"Sometimes, why do you ask"? _

_He shrugged a bit before answering, the amusement not leaving his face as he did._

_"I just wondered". He admitted before his facial expression changed suddenly."Which makes me wonder something else".  
_

_She looked at him again, waiting for him to continue, but he seemed reluctant to. _

_"What'd you want to ask"? She prompted when he didn't continue. _

_"Well, it's about something personal..." He warned. _

_"Pertaining to what? I'm not human, Jim". She reminded him, but despite that, he knew that she had human like feelings._

_"When you had John check your power cell". He answered while watching her reaction closely. _

_"What about it"? She inquired without any visible reaction, though internally, any time John was brought up made her miss him more. _

_"Did he kiss you"? _

_Cameron blinked as a brief wave of shock washed through her neural net. Out of all the questions she'd thought he'd ask, that wasn't one of them._

_"No...he didn't". She answered with notable pause._

_"I'm sorry". He apologized, but she shook her head. _

_"I fine". _

_"No you're not". He said remorsefully.  
_

_"I wish I hadn't stopped him". Cameron added suddenly. "He would have if I hadn't told him it was time to go". _

_"You'll get the chance, Cameron". He assured her as he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. _

_"You don't know that". She countered with a steely gaze, but Jim shrugged it off.  
_

_"I'll make sure of it". He said with a determined look. "Every girl deserves to be kissed by her Prince Charming". He finished with a grin.  
_

_Cameron didn't answer him, only choosing to stay silent, but her mind was swarming with new thoughts of John kissing her and imagining what it would feel like._

Cameron hadn't thought about that conversation since they had it, but now she understood why.

He'd done it to fulfilled his promise to her, one she hadn't taken seriously.

She looked back at John, her Prince Charming, and closed any distance between them, her eyes never leaving his. Her arms slowly wrapped around his neck and he naturally allowed his to encompass her waist.

"He died so that I could live to find you, so that we could be together". She said quietly as she stood on her tiptoes, nearly bringing herself to his level. "He died so that I would have the chance to know how it feels".

"Know how what feels"? He asked despite having a pretty good idea.

Her only answer was to gently press her lips to his.

It was more of a peck than a real kiss, but it had sent shock waves through Cameron's neural net. Even though this body wasn't as sensitive as the other, it was enough send her into the digital equivalent of ecstasy.

John let out a contented sigh as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that". He chuckled before kissing her again, only this time more deeply.

They stood there oblivious to their environments as they became lost in the moment, their lips and the sensations of their bodies pressing together obliterating Skynet, starships, parallel universes, and anything else from their minds.

That was until someone cleared their throat.

Both broke apart and looked to identify the intruder.

Seven of Nine looked slightly embarrassed at walking in on them, but Cameron knew she wouldn't be interrupting them for no reason.

"Yes"? Cameron asked while doing her best not to sound annoyed.

"It is time to leave, the rest are waiting". She said before turning on her heel and leaving.

"Perfect timing". John muttered as he straightened his clothes.

Cameron smirked a bit as she smoothed her hair.

"Continue this later"? He asked hopefully, causing Cameron to smile.

"Later". She answered as she took him by the hand and lead him out.

As they approached the group, John became curious about this ship they were about to be beamed on.

"What ship are we beaming on"?

Cameron realized that no one had mentioned Voyager's name yet, only referring to it as a ship or starship.

"I'll let it be a surprise". She answered as they joined the rest.

"Do I know what ship it is"?

"Maybe". She said as a mischievous smirk appeared just before the transporter whisked them away.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was a pain to get right, John and Cameron's first kiss especially.**

**Read and Review, I'd like your opinion on this chapter.**

**The next chapter will continue to integrate this new team while they figure out how to deal with Skynet.**

**I'm still working on my Star Trek summary on my profile, but it is far from compete yet.**


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